Silent Hill 2: Sinner
by shua
Summary: Novelization of the second game told by James, Eddie, and Angela. Fourteen up. This story on temporary hold while I finish Artificial Human.
1. Chapter 1: The letter

Chapter One: The letter

It was raining extremely hard as I sit in my car. The engine was blaring in my ears and all the thoughts of what I had just done were spiraling in my mind, each time becoming more and more unclear. What have I done, oh no. I didn't, I didn't, I didn't do it. I pressed my head against the steering wheel and started to cry. Images, blurry and unclear were floating around my head, coming and going. My heart stopped beating nonstop, a sharp pain pierced my head, and then I saw it. A familiar room, a woman lying on a bed, pillow over her face, a cold lifeless hand extending out towards me. _Thud thud thud thud, _I heard the rain beating down on the hood of the car. I lifted my head up in confusion. " What am I doing here?" I asked myself. I looked around. It's my car, this is strange. I turned the car off and rubbed my head. Dammit, what happened. I opened the car door and stepped out. The rain poured all over me soaking me wet. I ran up the stairs to my apartment and inside, closing the door behind me.

I was at a lake, it was blurry but I could make out the surroundings. It was Mary, she was waving me down towards the waterside. She had a pink blouse on and her hair up, she was really pretty. It was sunny out, the scent of flowers, absolutely beautiful. I got up and walked toward her, but the closer I got, the farther she seemed to be. I frantically started running towards her, but everything was changing. The lake was warping and swirling as was the trees and the ground. A thick heavy fog spread across my eyes and left me in a hospital room. I was sitting in a chair next to a bed. I looked at the ugly woman lying in the bed staring up without purpose at the ceiling with an expressionless face. "Mary", the words barely left my mouth before I was pulled out of the daze with a quick snap of my head.

The phone was ringing, unstopping, it kept ringing as I gradually realized where I was. I was in my room, everything looked the same as it always had. I haven't changed it since Mary died. Everything was exactly the same, the blue curtains, the white bed sheets and white blanket. Even everything on the nightstand was unchanged, everything Mary left there before she got ill. An assortment of change and a book she was reading. I rubbed my eyes just as I remembered, the phone, it was still ringing, whoever it was really wanted to talk to me.

I climbed out of bed and left the room. The phone was just down the hall in the living room. "Dammit", I said as I looked at the clock on the wall, it was 7:00 a.m. Who the hell could this be.

"Hello." I said as I picked up the phone.

" James, aren't you coming into work today." A rough voice said to me.

Damn, I just remembered, work.

" Um, no, sorry Andy, but I'm not feeling too well today." I lied.

" James, is something wrong, you haven't been coming in lately and when you do it's as if your mind is someplace else. Your doing poor with your work and I've had to keep others overtime to finish your job, James." He said to me calmly.

" I can't do this anymore, Andy. Everything's terrible. I have to get out of this." I said quickly and wearily.

" James you have to move on, your behavior is destroying your life." I didn't care what he was saying. He doesn't know what's going on.

'' James, are you there." He asked.

" Yea, I'm here."

" James, it's all right, she'll be fine. Now get ready and come in, if you don't come today I'll have to fire you James."

" Alright." I said as I hung up the phone.

I went over to the couch and turned on the TV. Nothing good was on so I got up and went to take a shower. I stood there with the water pouring over me. Mary, why did you go, I loved you so much, so why did you go. Lately I've been having trouble remembering her. How could that be, how could I forget my Mary. Some days I just can't even recognize her photo.

Everything's just been a mess since it happened. It's like I've fallen down a deep hole with no possible way to get back up. I've stopped going places, stopped talking with people, stopped everything. My parents came over the day to comfort me, but to hell with them, they weren't even helping me, they were helping themselves, the bastards.

The only person I can find comfort in is my brother, Andy. But now that's over. He fired, me, my own brother. He doesn't care anyway, no one does. They all point at me and talk behind my back. How could they be so goddamn cruel. But to hell with them.

I turned the shower off and stepped out. Everything looked exactly the same. I grabbed a white towel and started to dry myself. I went to the mirror and looked at myself. It's all over I said, I got dressed and left.

Today, I will go down to the park, I said to myself as I started up the car. The neighbors were just coming out and I wanted to avoid them. I pulled away from the curb quickly and drove down the street. I pulled in at a local gas station and just sat in the car, my head in my hands when I saw it. The was a white envelope on the floor of the passenger seat. I pulled it up and looked at it. It said 'Mary' on the front. Mary, how could that be. Mary, but no Mary's dead. The envelope was brand new as if it had just been bought. No, it can't be, this is a joke. But no it can't be a joke, this is definitely her handwriting.

I instantly threw it down onto the seat next to me and pulled out of the gas station extremely fast nearly causing an accident. I drove home, jumped out of the car envelope in hand and ran inside. I went into my room, threw myself on the bed and started crying.

Who would do this. Why would someone do this to me. It had to be a joke, it was a joke, but no, I couldn't accept that. I sat up and opened the door to the nightstand beside me and pulled out an old photographed. It was an old picture of Mary, back when she was still healthy. She was standing in front of a lake, she was smiling, she was happy. I just sat there for God knows how much time just staring at the letter, tears pouring down my face. I looked down at the letter and then back up to the picture. Oh Mary, I miss you so much.

Mary, don't worry I'm coming. I'll leave this place and I'll be with you, don't worry.. I went into the room across the hallway. It was a closet. All my clothes were inside it. I pulled down a box from the top shelf and took out an old hunting knife. I stood there for a few minutes, the knife at my neck, in a daze. Then soon I lowered the knife, '' I'm sorry Mary. I just can't do it."

I went back in my room and opened the letter. Seconds later, I sit there tears streaming down my face. My head was in a daze as old memories were coming back to me, Mary, a lake, a peaceful little town, a hotel.

My God, she's alive, Mary's alive, and I will find her. These were the words I kept saying to myself as I was getting dressed. I put on a black t-shirt and a gray shirt on over it. I looked in the mirror and smiled. This is the first time I've been happy in such a long time.


	2. Chapter 2: Reliving the Past

Chapter Two: Reliving the Past

I sat there on the bed just thinking. It's been three years since Mary died. Three years since I've been happy. But now things are coming back to me I've never could have imagined happened. Horrible things. I sat there thinking about all the fights Mary and I had. We argued nonstop. It's hard to even imagine that we got along. After Mary died everything just went down hill. My alcohol addiction came back, and I drank nonstop everyday, I just couldn't possibly live without its influence, after all it's the only thing that made me feel better. I even started smoking pot regularly, but Andy found out and took it all away, but not before he told the whole family and they were all at my house one night after work to 'talk' with me about my drug and alcohol problem. The only reason I stopped was to avoid them. And after that they just left me alone. After my wife dies, they just left me alone, no phone calls, no party invitations, no daily visits, nothing at all.

When Mary was diagnosed with the disease and I found out she had only a short time to live, I forget for how long, I remember I was such an asshole, I just ran out of the hospital room, leaving Mary there all alone with no family or friends to comfort her. That was selfish and there many more incidents like that. I remember once that I was at the hospital visiting her one day. I just got out of work, I was working double shifts after all I did have to pay the medical bills, and I was so excited to see her. The last time I went was such a long time ago and I really missed her. Once I got to her room, she was sleeping, and I was damn pissed that I wasted my time to come visit her and she was fucking sleeping!

During her sickness, I just could take it anymore. I was alone at home with nothing to do. I started going out to strip clubs, getting drunk. Can you believe this shit. I cheated on her, I cheated on my wife while she was dying! I fucking cheated on her! I was so selfish. I was mad at her for doing this to me. Mad at her for just taking away my life. I couldn't stand being the man who's wife was in the hospital dying. That's what all those years were like during her life. She was in the hospital suffering and dying, and I was fine, getting drunk at parties, having sex with dozens of different people each week. I'm such a goddamn asshole!

I reached across the bed and wrapped my hand across the letter from Mary. I took out the letter and started reading it.

" In my restless dreams I see that town, Silent Hill. You promised me you'd take me there again someday, but you never did. Well I'm alone there now, waiting for you. In our special place."

Over the past hour the same thought has been groping at my head over and over again. Can this really be from Mary, I mean it is her handwriting, but I keep telling myself, a dead person can't write letter. Then if that's true why do I believe it's truly from her and not some sick joke. But I had to go there, it's all I have left.

The thought of seeing Mary there just completely numbed my mind. Mary is alive, she's alive and she wrote me a letter, a letter, my Mary is alive. I just couldn't believe she wasn't. That meant that my sanity was slowly eroding away as was Mary's health. I was going crazy and this letter was the proof that proved either I was or I wasn't.

I will, I will go to that town and I will find my Mary. I will find her there waiting for me, and soon we'll be together again. Mary's there, I can feel it. This letter was the ray of hope I've been waiting for to suck me out of the sorrow that owned and clasped my life like a vice.

The next hour happened in a daze, and its hard to remember the exact details. I put the letter and the photo into my pocket, I went to the fridge and grabbed a beer, the last one I'll have because Mary doesn't approve of alcohol and she won't like drinking it once she's back. I got my keys for my blue Charger off the table and put them into my pocket. I walked outside down to my car, got in, started it up, and pulled away. I felt like God as I was driving. I felt like I had the ability to take away life and give life to whomever I pleased, and it was a damned good feeling.


	3. Chapter 3: Our special Place

Chapter Three: Our Special Place

As I was driving it came to me in an instance. In the letter Mary mentions 'our special place'. What could she mean, and how could I be such a goddamn asshole to not even know. Last time we were there we had such a good time, the whole town was practically our special place. Could she mean the town by the lake. We spent the whole day there just staring out into the water. Yes that has to be it, Mary loved that park, that's our special place. Rosewater Park is the name of it if I remember correctly,. yes Rosewater Park, that's where I am going, that's where Mary is going to be. The thought just relived me like ice on a hot day. Or so I thought that.

It was getting extremely cold as I was driving, and it's the beginning of July. The temperature in my car was drastically dropping and if felt as if my body was submerged into ice cold waited. I pulled over to the side of the road and got a green army jacket out of the backseat of the car, a gift from Mary.

As I was driving, I noticed something odd. The number of cars on the road was gradually decreasing, I thought I was going crazy, but it got to a point where there was no other car at all. This was it, I just lost it, this isolation was driving me crazy, it was picking at my brain trying to pull out the last piece of sanity I have.

The sun was barely visible, it was covered by dense black clouds. It was only 4:00 but it seemed like it was nine. I approached a gas station and I thought it would be a good idea to stop and ask for directions. I pulled up and parked. The lights were on in the building so I assumed that someone was there. But once I got in I was wrong, It was completely empty, no one was there. But what was odd about it was that there were signs of people having been there not to long ago. There was a cold opened bottle of Pepsi on the counter on top of a playboy magazine, there were groceries on the counter and some in bags, the cooler was open in the back, and a shopping cart was in the middle of an aisle, halfway filled with food.

I searched the store for a while but found nothing to prove there were people there. So I went back to the cooler, got a Coke and threw a buck twenty five on the counter. I didn't want to steal anything. As I was starting to the leave the store I saw a map lying on the floor just left of the door. I approached it and picked it up. It was a map of Silent Hill, this would definitely be useful, I turned around to make sure nobody was watching and I left the store, map and Coke in hand.

As I made my way back to the car I noticed something strange. There was a light layer of mist in the air, yet again this is pretty damn strange for the middle of summer. I couldn't take it anymore, the cold, the abandoned store, and now this eerie mist. I ran to my car and slammed the door shut.

And now the thing that I've been desperately trying to avoid has finally caught up with me and stuck its knife right in the back of my head. What if Mary isn't' t there.

No she is there, I mean she has to be there.

I don't know what to do if she isn't.

But how could a dead person send a letter.

I don't know, but it's her.

No it can't be Mary died, she died three years ago.

I know.

Then why are you going to a town hundreds of miles where you live to look for a dead person.

I don't know, maybe Mary is alive.

Maybe Mary is alive? Are you fucking stupid, you were there when she was buried, you held her right before she died!

I know, but she has to be alive, it's her handwriting in the letter.

No, Mary's dead, it can't be her handwriting because your Mary is dead. She's dead. She's dead. She's dead. She's DEAD!

NO, she isn't, she isn't dead. Leave me alone. Leave me the fuck alone. She's there waiting, she's waiting for me in our special place.

I was dragged back into reality so suddenly that it took me almost a whole minute to notice my surroundings. The mist was extremely thick and heavy now and my visibility was limited to only a few feet in front of me. I had to be careful now.

In the distance I saw a building with lights on and shadows moving around inside it. I pulled up to it. It was an old fashioned diner. I walked inside.

There were people inside eating, families, old men, teenagers, and truckers. Strange, these people are here yet there were no cars outside but mine and a large white van and I haven't passed any buildings or houses in hours. I just shrugged it off because all the things happening that day didn't make any goddamn sense to me. As I got closer to the counter it hit me like misplaced nostalgia. I recognized everybody here, or at least I thought I did, they all looked like people at Mary's and my wedding but my mind had to be playing tricks on me, yes that's it. I walked up and ordered a hot cup of coffee and sat down at one of the booths towards the back or the restaurant.

I pulled out the letter from Mary and I read it over and over again. I must've been staring at the page blankly for a long time because when I finally put it down, the diner was empty and there was a cold cup of coffee in front of me. The diner was empty, what the fuck is this, I got up trembling, feeling Like I was going to puke. What the fuck is this. What the fuck is this. They're all gone everyone. The lights were off and it was dark, but I could see enough to tell that I was probably the first person in here in years. There was a thick layer of dust on everything, chairs were broken, and the kitchen area was a complete mess, dishes lie broken everywhere, stains of food and drinks. I walked behind the counter and the scene I witnessed was like something pulled straight out of a fucking horror movie. There was a person lying on their stomach, a large hunting knife stabbed into the back. There was fresh blood lying on the floor and as I got closer I noticed that there was still blood slowly pouring out of the hole in the guy's back. I jumped back right into the counter, I fell over it backwards and hit my head. I stood up pucking all over the floor. I ran out of the diner sick as hell puking as I went.

It wasn't until I was in the car that I noticed that it was pitch black out. I wondered how I even got to my car in the darkness. It wasn't cold out anymore either, I don't know I can't explain but it was like there was no temperature at all, it was just neutral. There wasn't any sound at all except from my loud breathing and the constant beating of my heart. When I started my car I nearly pissed my pants. The loud screaming engine was all the could be heard and it was driving me crazy. I was going crazy. I was ignoring all the warnings that my body and mind were giving me.

As I was driving, very slowly because of the darkness, my headlights didn't even penetrate the darkness more than about 4 feet, I passed a sign that said 'Silent Hill' 7 miles. Seven miles until I get there, only seven miles. I kept saying it to reassure myself that it was real and this hellish journey is almost over.

Then it happened so suddenly that I slammed on my breaks and nearly smashed my head on the dashboard. The darkness was just peeling backwards in front of me, sort of like when you pull back a candy wrapper, it was just ripped right of my eyes and the thick heavy mist returned.

I got off the highway onto Nathan Avenue and drove up. This is it I told myself, This is it. But as soon as I got to the underpass I noticed that it was blocked off by a big and heavy fence, there were numerous types of machinery behind it. There must have been an accident. I backed up and pulled into the parking lot near the scenic overlook to the right.

There was a rundown restroom just a few from where I parked I opened the door, it seemed that the coldness came with the mist because it was freezing again, I had to put on the jacket that I took off earlier before I pulled away from the diner, there was still puke on it.

I grabbed the map and shoved into the pocket with the letter and the photo and made my way up to the rundown building, the mist swallowing me up as I went.


	4. Chapter 4: Cadavers

Chapter Four: Cadavers

It was done, over. He had already did. Now there was no going back. The dog lie there dead in the summer heat while he stood there with a sadistic smile on his face. Flies were beginning to swarm over the open wound onto the warm blood that was pouring out of him onto the road. That fucking dog, he deserved it, looking at me that way. I sure taught him, he'll never make fun of me again.

" Eddie, holy shit what the Hell did you do!" A man dressed in a black suit was coming up down the road towards the man who shot the dog.

" He deserved it, that fucking dog, stay away from me or I'll shoot you to!" Eddie replied.

" Eddie, put the gun down, just put it down." the man yelled at Eddie from across the street. Eddie spit on the sidewalk and pointed the gun towards the man.

" Eddie you crazy shit, put the gun down!" the man yelled as people started to swarm around the scene, coming from their cars, houses, and just passerby's. Everybody seemed to be paralyzed by the sight of the dead dog who had filled the street with blood to do anything.

" Heh, I knew it, you too dad, you're just like the rest of them." Eddie smiled and then shot a bullet straight into his father's knee. The man fell down screaming, everybody was panicking and yelling to call an ambulance.

" Eddie, you fat disgusting piece of SHIT, now look what you've down you crazy fuck!" The bleeding man yelled. Eddie's sick twisted smile vanished and was replaced with a look of absolute terror. He started to run away as sirens were blaring in the distance, leaving a dead dog, an injured man, and a street full of blood behind him.

Eddie kept running and didn't stop, he ran down alleyways and backyards trying to avoid the sirens until he came out of an alleyway to a large white van. Without thinking he ran around threw open the door and got in.

" I didn't want to do it. But they made me, it's their fault not mine." Eddies said as he started up the van. He sweating like crazy. Eddie was extremely fat and all that running had run him down terribly. He had a baseball hat on backwards, he had blonde hair soaked with sweat, he had a blue and white striped shirt on, and light brown shorts. He threw the gun down on the passenger's seat and drove away.

I have to get away from here, I have to get away or they'll catch me, he thought nonstop as he was doing his best to avoid the patrolling cop cars and stares from pedestrians. Right now he was stuck at a red light and a cop car was right beside him. He looked over, the cop waved at him. Eddie just went off his rocker. He floored the van pulling out and nearly hitting a woman. The cop car was close behind him, sirens blaring and calling for back.

" You won't catch me." He was going nearly one hundred miles an hour now and doing his best to swerve around the cars in front of him.

" It's hot as hell in here." He opened the window and spit. There were about six or seven police cruisers behind him now. NO, you won't get me, you won't get me. Eddie swerved off the road and his van smashed into a tree.

When he awoke it was extremely misty outside and he was parked in a parking just outside a diner.

" What the hell is this." He looked up " How the hell did I get here." He remembered the events that took place earlier that day.

" That damn dog, and my dad, and the fucking police. But how the hell did I get here."

A loud growling noise alerted him and caused him to look down at his stomach. " Boy, I sure am hungry. Might as well get something to eat while I'm here." He unbuckled his seatbelt and got out of the car.

"Holy shit, it's cold." He said in a pissed off voice. He ran into the diner as fast as he could. The diner was full with your usual assortment of people hanging out and eating. He went to the corner, everybody stopped talking and turned to watch him. The sudden silence in the diner alerted Eddie and he turned around.

They all watchin' me, they're making fun of me, those bastards, I'll show them, I'll do exactly to them what I did to that dog.

" What can I get yeh hon." the woman at the counter asked.

" Pizza." Eddie said as he was nervously eying the people behind him.

" What size would you like." The woman said nicely.

" Large." Just as Eddie said this he could here snickers from the people around him. The blood was filling his head now and he was about to snap.

" Jeff, one large pizza." The woman at the counter said.

" No problem, Marge." A man's voice said from behind.

Eddie went and sat in the booth at the back of the restaurant so nobody could see him. Those bastards, they're making fun of you. You had better teach them their lesson. The faces of the people became distorted and the diner vanished. Eddie was thrown into a black room with people pointing at him laughing. ' You fat piece of shit', ' Now look what you've done, ' You crazy fuck', 'Fatass, 'You fat retard'.

" Here's your pizza young man." The man was there with Eddie's pizza. Eddie looked up at him with a fork in his hand.

"Killing a person ain't no big deal." Eddie said with a devilish face and twisted smile.

He snapped, before anyone could react, Eddie snapped his fork in half and jumped on the man.

" Wait, please make him stop, please help me!" The man was screaming. Eddie was punching him. No one moved from their seat, they just continued to laugh and point.

" You Bastards, make fun of me, I'll teach you, fuckers!" Eddie took out a large hunting knife from his pocket and dragged the man behind the counter, with him screaming for his life and crying all over the floor.

Eddie rolled him over onto his back and drove the knife into his back, blood spurted all over the floor and onto Eddie's face. He wiped in on his hand, looked at it with a twisted smile on his face and he licked off of his hand and laughed.

He looked down at his victim proudly. See I showed you. Snap, Eddie was back. Snapped away from his malicious anger.

He looked around him, the diner was different, it was dark and banged up. The tables were overturned and broken as were the chairs, the walls were gray and peeling and covered in graffiti, the kitchen was banged up, dishes and pans lay all over broken. And right beside Eddie lay a dead man and a hot box of pizza.

Realizing what he's done he was scared and muttering inaudible words nervously over and over as he grabbed the pizza box and ran. He ran outside, it was dark out, pitch black, but Eddie didn't notice. He ran to his van and drove away.

As he was leaving, behind him a blue sports car was just pulling into the diner, a sad looking man got out dressed in a green jacket and a photograph in his hand.


	5. Chapter 5: Departing Innocence

Chapter Five: Departing Innocence Part One

A little girl of about seven was rolling around in a golden meadow, the sun reflecting of her brown hair. She rolled over on her back laughing and grabbed a bright pink rose out of the ground and kissed it. She looked up at the clouds in the sky guessing at the shapes they took. She was drifting into sleep in the meadow surrounded by bright green grass, pretty flowers, and the sense of security from the sun's golden rays.

Just a short walk up from the meadow was an old fashioned house, a bright gray, almost white in color. A woman opened the door and walked out. She was beautiful and had dark brown hair, the same as her daughter who was sleeping in the meadow.

" Angela honey, where are you. It's time for dinner." She called in an absolute angelic voice.

The little girl awoke from her short nap and smiled when she heard her mother's voice. She stood up ecstatically and ran up the hill, crying "Mommy, Mommy," in a cheery voice.

Just as the girl reached her mother, a loud screeching noise surrounded them. Angela opened her eyes and stared at the white ceiling of her room. She frantically hurried to turn off the alarm clock for fear of waking up her father. Unlike the girl in the dream, Angela wasn't very pretty. Her hair was worn and a grayish brown. Her eyes were surrounded reddened skin, and her face showed no sign of beauty, it looked as if the girl had been locked in a closet since she was born, not allowed to experience anything of any significance as a child needs, but it wasn't her fault. She stood up, she was very frail and skinny, and had a nervous twitch in her movements. She had a huge bruise on her right arm and it covered nearly all of it. It was grotesque, who would've done this to just a little girl. It was obvious that the girl was neglected. All that was in her room was an old bed, a small worn out blanket, and a lamp.

A loud banging noise echoed throughout the house causing the little to girl to jump in bed and hide under her covers. Silence caused her to poke her head out for brief second. And the she heard it.

" Shut up you fucking bitch!" A man said in an angry voice.

" No, don't please leave her alone, leave her alone!" A woman cried. The man smacked her across the face, knocking her off the bed, then left the room.

Angela could hear loud angry footsteps approaching her room. She started crying and flinching every time she heard the thud of each foot, for she know who it was and why they were coming. And the inevitable came, a loud banging on her door and the screams of her father demanding her to let him in. She just sat there frozen with fear. He banged even louder and then just threw the door open, it banged against the wall leaving a huge hole from the door handle.

Angela's father wasn't that bad looking. He was handsome, he had short hair, a face with nice complexions, smooth skin, but he was angry and that made him look very frightening to the child. He ran over to Angela, picked her up her arm and threw her against the wall, he then went to the door.

" Everyone stay the fuck out!" He screamed before he slammed shut causing a young boy to wake up in the room next door to Angela's, he listened in horror. He then turned around and faced Angela. She was crying and shivering uncontrollably, and was looking up at her father with a terrified expression on her face.

He smiled and walked over to her, picked her and carried her over to the bed and set her down on it.

"Okay, Angela, you know what to do." He said extremely calmly. Angela started to undress but wavered suddenly. Her father got angry at this and punched her in the face.

" See what you did you little bitch, now take off your goddamn clothes." Angela looked up at her father and shook her head.

The blood rushed to his face, he took out a knife and grabbed her hair pulling her up to him. He then put the knife to her throat and said " You cunt, if you don't do it I'll slice your throat and leave you here to bleed."

Angela closed her eyes and said okay. As she was getting undress so was her father. When they were both done undressing he instructed her what to do and she did it, crying nonstop, her mother looking in through a crack in the door.

Chapter Five: Departing Innocence Part Two(fifteen years later)

Angela was kneeling beside a dumpster is a dirty alleyway. Rats were biting at her legs, but she lost will to scare them away.

She lie there watching the garbage blow by and the stares and fingers from people passing on the street. She had enough and ran away, away from the abuse from her father and her mother's negligence as she stood there and watched it all, not daring to do anything. Angela's appearance hadn't changed much, she only got older. She had a gray sweater on and red pants, just under her mouth was a small cut with dry blood around. A gift from her father as she was trying to leave the house, this time she was lucky, the last time she tried to escape he locked her in the basement for a week with nothing to eat or drink. No doubt, Angela thought, her father was out looking for her, desperate to bring her back so he could have his little plaything. But no Angela wouldn't go back, if she did she would kill him.

Angela got up and flinched, her leg was busted up she just remembered. This two was from her father when he hit her with a hammer before she left, to keep her from going. No, I won't go back, I'll kill him if I have to. I'll Kill Him. Angela began to cry as she limped her way out of the alleyway onto the streets.

They were all watching her, staring, pointing, whispering. Angela couldn't take and she began to cry. I will end this she said to herself, I'm going to the police.

"Yes I'll go to the police." Angela said under her breath. It wasn't very long to the police station but it started to rain and soon Angela was the only one left on the street. She wasn't afraid though, she was used to this isolation and darkness. After all, anything is better than going back _there_ and being raped and beaten again.

Finally, she thought. She was there. But there waiting for her was her father with an extremely angry look on her face. All in a moment her hopes were shot down, her seemingly probable freedom destroyed. Angela started to cry and fell down on her knees the rain pouring in her face, washing away the blood as her father and a police officer approached her.

" Sir, is this her." The police officer asked Mr.Orosco. He looked down at his daughter disgusted and nodded.

" Well, all right folks, have a good night." he said as he went back inside leaving Angela alone in the street with her father.

" You little bitch. Next time you do this I'll fucking kill you." He said into her here as he grabbed her by the wrist and pulled her off the ground. "Now get in the car!" He yelled. Angela easily cooperated for she knew things would be allot worse if she didn't.

The car ride back to her house was short and quiet. Angela knew her father was saving it all for when they got home.

When they pulled into the driveway Angela unbuckled her seatbelt and was about to get out when her father grabbed her by the throat. "You go into your room, and you wait for me, you got it?" He said calmly yet very angrily. Angela nodded frightfully and ran inside crying. Mr.Orosco sat in the car for a few moments and then went into the house, undoing his belt as he went up the steps and went inside.

Angela heard the footsteps coming and prepared herself, tonight, she thought, I won't let him. He kicked open her door and then slammed it shut. "Okay you little whore get undressed!" He yelled at her as he took his pants and shirt off.

"No! I won't!" Angela said angrily. Her father bent down and took out his knife and walked towards his daughter.

" What did you say you fucking bitch! Do it now or I'll cut you up!" His father put the knife against her neck.

What happened next was all in a daze. All she remembers is shaking her head. Her father moving the knife in a slicing motion, a sharp pain in her neck. She fell down over bleeding holding her neck. Luckily the cut wasn't that deep, but her father didn't know that as dropped the knife and started to leave the room. Angela got up half naked, knife in hand, ran up to her father, flung her arm around his neck and sliced it with the knife. Blood sprayed the walls as he fell down on his knees mouth open. Angela then stabbed him the back once, twice, three, four, five, six, seven times. The floor was covered in blood when Angela was finally done, she stood up covered in blood and cleaned the knife with her father's pants. She smashed his head with her foot as she got dressed and left the room.

She went into the living room, her mother and brother were sitting there looking at her frightfully. She looked at them only for a few seconds before she went out the door and slammed it shut.

She had no idea of where to go, she looked at the car, luckily she still had her father's pants in her hands. The keys were right inside his pocket along with a picture. She looked at the picture in the floodlight for a few seconds, ripped in two and stashed it in her pocket. She got in the car and started it.

Oh no, she thought, this was stupid. Angela had never drove a car before, her father didn't even let her out of the house. She didn't care, she'd seen her father do it enough times all the times he brought her back after she ran away, but no not this time he won't, he can't get me now, she thought.

"I told I'd kill you." Angela said looking at the knife before throwing it down on the seat beside and pulling out of the driveway, and heading to God only knows where in the rain.


	6. Chapter 6: Alone in the mist

Chapter Six: Alone in the Mist

I sat there looking into the bathroom mirror trying to rationalize everything that had taken place earlier today, but I found hard to concentrate on the matter because I kept thinking of Mary and how close she is. Mary I'm almost there just please, please, wait a little while longer. The bathroom I was in was absolutely filthy, the walls were peeling, molding, and covered in graffiti, toilets were broken and overturned and their contents spill all over the floor creating a god awful smell. All the mirrors were cracked and covered in grime and mold, the sinks were rusty and broken, and the only light came from the sun's reflection on the mist outside.

I raised my hand to face and looked at the man looking back at me in the mirror's reflection. He was ugly, his hair was covered in greasy sweat, his face was smothered in oil and subtle marks of black were all over it, his eyes were black and red and hideous looking. He looked like a freak. That's what I was, nothing but a freak.

"Mary, could you really be in this town." I said as I as I touched my face and slid my hand down my right cheek and dropped it back down to my side. My actions and my thoughts were apathetic towards the issue at hand, finding Mary. It seems I've lost that Godlike feeling and my hope, all of gone away by just looking in the mirror and realizing that after all, I am only human. But no, I've come too far to go back, I will find my Mary and we will be happy. I turned around and walked back out into the mist.

It was hard to see, but eventually I made my way over to the concrete barrier separating the overlook from the woods and lake below. The mist wasn't as thick here and I could see the lake and the old houses by it. It was very peaceful, and that was a feeling that I soon would have when I find my Mary. I took out her picture and just stood there, bending over on the wall, and looked at it for what seems like an eternity.

I put the picture away and then reread the letter about seven times to assure myself that it was real. It was. The only thing that seemed to be fighting against my will for happiness is this damn mist. It's just so odd, this can't be natural, the mist or the coldness, something is going on here and I'm not sure I want to find out what exactly. But despite the constant pressure from the common sense part of my mind, I wouldn't give up, no I wouldn't, I would just ignore it. Besides I don't think I can ever go back, something tells me I'm stuck here, at least until I find her.

Since Nathan Avenue was blocked off, the main way to get into town, I had to go in by foot. On the map it indicated a small trail just ahead of me which leads into town. It's the only option I had to go that way or just forget about everything. I slowly approached the small flight of stairs which lead down to the trail, all the while fighting away the strong feeling of impending danger which was gnawing at my mind and my heart, warning me not to go. Beside the stairs was the white van I saw at the diner earlier. I looked into the window.

"MY GOD! Holy Shit!" The inside of the van was covered with blood, like someone was murdered right inside it. I went around the other side, there were bloody footprints coming out of the van but vanished after only a few feet. I disregarded it and walked to the stairs. I cracked my

knuckles and stretched my arms before I went down, all the while that part of my brain telling me not to. But I didn't care. I slowly walked down, my footsteps echoing and the soft swirling of the mist the only noises I could hear. I'm alone, forced to survive this nightmare all alone.

After a few seconds I heard the crunching of leaves and twigs, which told me I was on the trail. I couldn't be sure, but I was surrounded by dense woods, again the only sound being the soft moaning of the wind and my footsteps crunching the earth below me. This mist is driving me crazy, in the swirling, I could see, or I imagined I saw, for lack of a better word, monsters. But nothing was there. As I walked, I was all alone, alone in the world, alone in the forest, alone in the mist. With nothing but a photograph to keep me company.


	7. Chapter 7: The angel in the cemetery

Chapter Seven: The angel in the cemetery

The journey from the overlook to town was beginning to turn into terror. Noises have begun in the mist, it's hard to explain but its like a deep growling, like an angry dog rushing towards you growling and barking. Dozens of times I found myself wishing to turn back.

I couldn't take it anymore, whatever the noise was, it was going to get me if I continue this slow. I began to run, trying to escape the noise but I couldn't. It was there no matter what, constantly terrorizing my mind, making me insane. It, I eventually determined, be in my best interest to stop for the mist was constantly getting thicker making it dangerous for me to be walking.

A shadow materialized out of the mist as I continued down the spiraling path. It became more and more distinct as I approached it, it's a well. An extremely old one, it was in the middle of a gazebo of some sort which was only about three feet wide. It was just to the left of the trail where I was standing, I went up to it not knowing why. I looked down it to it but could see nothing. Nothing was there. I sat down on the edge of it and took out Mary's photograph. Eventually I just gave up, there's no possible chance that's she going to be here. I stood up and continued down the path.

The farther I traveled, the greater my intense feeling or paranoia deepened. I had to get out of this forest fast or I would lose it. And within a few moments I had come to the end of this god awful trail. It was something that resembled a pave road on a side of a mountain. To the left of the road was a cliff, I couldn't see the bottom because of the mist. It was happening again, the strange noises intensified and the mist became a frenzy of swirling disfigured faces.

" No stop it!" I ran down the road as fast as I could. They wouldn't get me, they wouldn't drive me crazy, I would find my Mary and I would be with her and none of these bastards are going to stop me. I wouldn't let this make my powerless. But slowly it was making powerless, I slowly stopped to a walk, I felt worthless, I felt like I was nothing but a pawn in someone sick demented game.

Eventually I found myself at a gate. It was one of those gates you see in horror movies. It was large and black, with sharp points at the top. As I opened it made a loud creaking noise, I went it and the gate closed behind me.

I felt my feet step on something moist and damp, it was grass. Finally, I'm getting closer to Mary. I slowly walked forward, cautiously, complete silence had now become apparent to me. The noises were gone, like they finally found me and were waiting, waiting to jump on me.

A column of shadows began to appear in the mist. Shit, they were tombstones, it's a goddamn cemetery, now I felt powerless and truly scared. The isolation finally took over me and I just lost the will to go one. I stood there for a few minutes not doing anything, then I heard it. It was a noise just a little farther than where I was standing. I know I shouldn't but I had to find out what it was. I walked up the middle row of tombstones, as I passed some of them I could make out some of the dates but nothing else. They were from the early 1900's, pieces of the littered the cemetery, and one just lie in mound of rubble.

I found the source of the noise, it was a grotesque figure in the distance. I jumped back and held my breath, not wanting to alert whatever it was to my location or that I was even here. I had to go on this was the only way into town. I remembered once when I was little, my mother was holding me as I was crying because I thought I just saw a monster come out of my closet. She assured me that there are no such things. But now I was starting not to believe her anymore, she lied to me. The closer I got the more humanlike the figure became before I fully saw what it was. It was a woman.

She was kneeling next to one of the tombstones rubbing her hand affectionately across it. She had on a gray sweater and read pants. I suddenly felt a deep pity for the woman. She saw me and jumped back nervously a look of horror and shock on her face. She backed up and looked at me strangely.

" I'm so sorry, I was just.." she screamed. It looked as if she was on the verge of crying or all out yelling.

" Hey, take it easy, everything's all right." I put my hands up to reassure her everything was all right, she seemed to think that I was going to hurt her. She just stood there looking at me confused.

" I'm a little lost, I'm trying to get to Silent Hill but I don't know if this is the right way." I said to her.

" Lost?" She gasped at me as she took a step closer to me her like that of a dog's when he hears something he hasn't' heard before trying to understand it. This girl wasn't very pretty, as she stepped closer I could see her more clearly, she was extremely skinny and her skin was very pale, she was scared of something. It seemed to me that she lived her life always scared of something because her movements and expressions seemed to be a routine with her.

" Yea I'm lost I said, the main entrance in to town was blocked off so I took this trail." I said.

" You're going the right way." She turned around and pointed " There's a road just up to the left, you can't miss it." I looked up and began walking.

" But wait, I wouldn't go there if I were you." She said quickly and urgently. " There's something not right about it, it's _dangerous_." She emphasized the word 'dangerous' and instantly I knew she was telling the truth. I assumed it was probably dangerous the minute I set off down the trail.

" It's dangerous? Well don't worry I'll be careful." She looked very sensitive and I didn't want to hurt her by telling her I know that it's dangerous.

" I'm not lying!" She said defensively, it looked as if I did hurt her.

" No, I believe you the point is, I don't really care if it's dangerous or not. I'm going to go there either way." She looked ashamed of herself for not convincing me not to go.

She looked up at me and said "It really is dangerous, and it's not just the fog either, it's.." She looked down at her feet.

"What, what else about it." I asked her.

" It' just." I could tell she didn't want to talk about it. But why are you going, don't you believe me!" She cried.

" Yes I do believe you it's just, well I'm looking for someone, someone who's very important to me and I have to find her." I told her. She looked up at me sadly.

" I'm looking for someone to, my mama-, I mean mother, I thought she was here but I can't find her, she isn't anywhere." She paused and looked around. Why would her mother be in a cemetery, is she dead? I couldn't ask her that.

" I thought my father and brother would be here too, but I can't find them either." She said as she turned around and looked at me. She looked afraid, like she just insulted me.

" Oh, I'm sorry, it's not your problem." She said.

" All right, I hope you find them." I said as I turned around and headed to the other end of the cemetery. I thought I heard her said 'you too' but I couldn't be sure. I turned around to look back at her, she was on the ground again looking at the tombstone.

She was right just a ways up to the left was another gate, next to the gate was a old building which gave me a horrible feeling as I passed it, which lead to a dirt road. I walked up the road, anticipating the moment I would be in town, the moment I would be one step closer to Mary. I could picture her there waiting for me, and me coming up and her smiling and running towards me and hugging me. Almost there.

The road I was small, there were broken down fences on both sides of me. I passed a truck, it looked abandoned as everything else did, something it isn't right about this town.

Finally I came to an opening onto a paved road. I was in town, the fog as thick as ever.


	8. Chapter 8: The abandoned Town

Chapter Eight: The abandoned Town

I stepped out onto Sanders Street, the map indicated that there was nothing to the left of me but a dead end. I slowly walked to the right and turned right onto Lindsay Street. The map says that I have to go all the way up Lindsay Street and then left onto Nathan Avenue. I'm almost there.

Cars were abandoned and lying on the sidewalk half on the road There was no one in sight. I couldn't hear a damn thing. Something had happened here, something bad which caused everybody to just leave or at least….

It seems so impossible that they would just leave, I mean look at the place, there's still cars here and everything, but the town is empty. Shit this is screwed up. Rosewater Park is only up this road and to the left. I keep telling myself this to stay calm and it actually seems to be working despite everything.

I examined all the buildings as I was walking , it's completely obvious that they are abandoned. I looked into the window of one of the buildings. Everything looked normal inside but…. Oh I don't know. Whatever, this town is completely fucked up. Jesus!

The mist, the unnatural cold, the abandoned buildings, the cars left empty on the streets, something isn't right. Something is not right. Suddenly I felt helpless again. I was alone, no one to help if something should go wrong and something was going to go wrong, I could feel it.

As I walked down the fog smothered street it felt as if I was being watched, like someone was sitting down on the couch with a beer watching me and laughing at my misfortune.

"Holy Shit!" The words were quick and emotionless. It's horrible. Enormous streaks of blood smothered the street. I followed the trail of blood up with my eyes and I saw it. A distorted figure limping its way up the street in front of me. It was barely distinguishable through the fog. I jumped behind the car to the left of me. Shit, what the hell was that.

I poked my head around slowly, I sure as hell didn't want to be seen. Then it hit me, the blood, the limping. It has to be a person! And they are hurt. I had better follow them. Finally my mind was at ease, after all there are people here.

I followed the person and the trail of blood slowly through the fog. Up ahead it turned into an alleyway. Shit, I don't want to go in there. But you have to, somebody's hurt. Yes I know.

"Well here we go."

Wait a minute James.

What do you want now?

You shouldn't go up there.

And why not?

You truly believe that that was a person?

Well of course, it has to be, now leave me alone I have to get to him, he's hurt.

You are going crazy James.

NO, no I'm not!

You are. Is it possible for there to be anyone in this town. Look at it, it's abandoned!

There has to be, I saw someone.

You stupid ass! If that was a person he would be dead after bleeding that much. And what could've done that to him in the first place?

Shit, I just knew it but I didn't want to believe it. Whatever the hell that was it went up this alley, that's for sure. Well it's the only lead I got, I had better follow it. NO I don't want to! Are you scared? You're damn right I am! Well you shouldn't be. Why not. Because it's not real, none of it is real. The letter isn't real, this town isn't real, whatever you saw isn't real. NO it has to be.

"No! It is real!" I screamed into the fog, the only answer I received was an echo. I looked up into the alleyway. I slowly walked up the alleyway, my feet crunching broken glass and old pop bottles as I went.

Eventually I came up to another dirt road. A large fence type gate lay in front of me partially open. I didn't know if I was going the right way anymore. There wasn't any footsteps and the blood trail had vanished. Strange, I'm sure that the person came through here.

Oh shit, what if that person was Mary, Dammit, I have to hurry. The thought struck me the very moment I went through the gate. Yes it has to be her, she and I are the only one's here, and it sure as hell isn't me.

I started walking faster, fueled by the thought that Mary was hurt. I began to run, the path was getting narrower as I went and in the distance I could hear a faint humming noise. What the hell is that. Probably just another strange unexplainable sound of the fog. I shrugged it off and continued running. It got louder, damn, I stopped running and started to walk very slowly.

Damn, this is it, this is when I'm finally going to see my Mary. Damn, I'm going to see her!

I came to an opening and almost at once the noise from before got a hell of a lot louder. It pierced the silence. It was like a TV channel or a radio station that didn't come in all to good. It's a loud static sound, I looked around for a moment trying to find the source of it, then in an instant it got louder and louder and louder.

I bent down covering up my ears. " What the fuck is this!" I screamed, I could barely hear my own voice. This is it, this is definitely it, I've gone crazy, shit I've gone crazy. The noise seemed to be coming from an old barn like tunnel thing in front of me, that's the best I can describe it. It was boarded up partially in the front and surrounded by old crates and barrels. I bent over and stepped through an opening in the boards and went inside.

A radio was on the ground blaring uncontrollably. I picked it up and banged it with my hand. It didn't stop, I tried to change the station, that didn't work, I tried to turn it off, that didn't work either. Damn this is weird.

A faint rustle only a few inches in front of me broke my attention to the radio. I slowly turned my head over. Oh shit!

Slowly, a disfigured human arose from the ground. It's whole body seemed to be stuck inside itself, it's arms were wrapped up inside it's skin which was a dark brown color. It had no apparent face except for a few subtle shadows where the eyes and mouth would be. It crouched over and slowly started to limp its way towards me.

Oh shit, Fuck, what the hell is going on!

I backed up and nearly fell over. What the fuck is it?

I backed up frantically, desperate to get the hell away from this thing. I can't move. I'm frozen here! Dammit! I tripped over something on the ground behind and fell down on my ass. The thing was coming closer, oh shit, what is it! This can't be real, Oh GOD this can't be REAL!

I began crawling backwards trying to escape. I bumped into the fence and tried to stand up. Shit, my whole body just went numb, I can't move, I can't move. I'm going to die, dammit it's going to kill me!

I groped behind me desperately trying to find anything, a rock or a stick, just anything to hit the fucker with. Just as I found a loose board from behind me the monster emitted a loud terrifying screeching noise from its face. Suddenly the part of it's face where the mouth was supposed to be started to open. Flesh was peeling away at the top and the bottom revealing a dark black hole. Holy Shit!

I yanked the board free and pulled it in front of me. The monster was getting closer. It's getting closer. Suddenly my fright seemed to disappear little by little. I'm not helpless anymore, I have a goddamn weapon. I'm going to kill that bastard, I though as I stood up.

Without warning a dark gooey liquid erupted from the bastard's mouth and landed all over my face. Fucking gross! I stood there for a second disoriented. My face got hotter and hotter. Shit, It was burning like a bitch now. That shit it spit on me is fricking burning my face off goddamn it! I dropped the board and started to wipe the shit off of me my hands getting burned in the process.

When it was off I noticed that the monster was only inches away, ready to spew some more of that shit at me. I dropped to my knees and picked up the damn board. I whacked the creatures legs nearly taking one off, blood spewing everywhere. I stood up and whacked it right in the side of it's head driving the nails into its brain, or whatever it fucking has up there. It fell down to the ground screaming uncontrollably. Shit, I covered my ears, the sound was deafening.

This things disgusting, blood was pouring out of its open wounds. It stopped moving. I stood there for a second trying to catch my breath. That damn radio, god can't I have any peace? Shit.

The thing wriggled, Shit! It isn't dead! It began to scurry around the ground like a fucking spider. Ugly piece of shit! I whacked it with the board non stop for a few minutes. When I was done it was nothing but a bloody lump on the ground.

HOLY SHIT! This town is so goddamn screwed up! A monster, can you believe this, a damn monster! I slid down against the boards, trying not to get soaked in the pool of blood on the ground, and gasped for breath and trying to rationalize what I had just done. In all the excitement I didn't notice it until now, the radio had stopped making the strange noise.

I stood up and dusted myself off still not being able to comprehend what I had just seen. You wouldn't be able to either if you were just attacked by some disfigured monster spewing shit out of its mouth which burned your goddamn skin.

"What the hell is it? It isn't human." I said as I looked down at it. There was another lump on the ground where the monster arose from. It was impossible to tell whether it was a person or another monster but I'm sure that that was where all that blood came from. Shit!

All the townspeople, god they were probably all killed and eaten by those things. Everything makes sense now, this town isn't normal after all. The mist, the empty town, these monsters. I'm beginning to understand all of it now. While I was driving I must've just fell down a deep dark hole into Hell, it may sound crazy but that's the only explanation I have.

I picked up the radio that I had dropped earlier. The noise had stopped the minute I killed that thing so I guess that it only does that when they're around, I don't know I could be wrong but either way it's still going to be useful. I grabbed the board to and crawled the hell out of there.

Goddamn I could use a beer right now, about ten of them actually and a big bag of weed too. Shit! How could I not think about this earlier. Mary, she's probably in trouble. If there's one of these things there have to be more. And Mary's probably hiding from them right now. Oh too much, this is all too much.

I sat down on a pile of logs near the entrance and put my head between my knee. I sat there for a few minutes just in a daze, everything that just happened spiraling throughout my mind . Mary, I stood up too fast and nearly fell down. I waited for a moment just trying to get my head straight and to assure myself that I'm ready, ready for whatever is up next.

As I started walking back down the trail back into town that strange girl came floating back in my mind. I could see her that looking hurt that I disbelieved her. I did disbelieve her at the time, I just lied because I didn't want to upset her but shit she was right there is something wrong with this town.

_SHHHHHHSHAAASHHHHHHHHH. _The radio began emitting the white noise again. Oh Fuck! There are more of those disgusting damn monsters! I readied the wooden plank, expecting to see a monster but nothing came. I waited there just listening in the silence but still nothing came.

Hmmm, I looked down at the radio, this is strange, the static isn't as loud as it was before. Maybe… I tapped it. Something's wrong with this thing. I was beginning to think that it just blurted out static at random times. It must be able to tell when those things are around. I was about to chuck it out into the fog when I heard it. I nearly fainted.

I pulled it back down and shoved it right against my ear desperate to hear the sound again. Oh God, please let me hear it again, Oh please let me hear it again. After a few moments I gave up I let my hand drop down to my side and tears started to stream down my face. Oh no, damn it. Please, please let it come back. Uhhhh, damn it. It was probably only the mist again.

shhhh Jam- Ja-shhh-s A female voice said out of the radio faintly. That was it, I heard it again. I brought the radio back up to my ear pressing it extremely hard cutting into my ear. Blood began to trickle down my arm and falling into the ground next to my tears. That was her, Mary!

shshhhhsh James shhhhhh shhh Her voice was becoming more distinct in the static. Oh Mary I'm hear I'm listening honey please, don't stop.

"Mary I'm hear. Please talk to me." I said softly into the radio trying not to cry.

shhhh Ja-shhh-mes I-shhh need shhh y-shhhh ou It went dead, it stopped.

"MARY!" I screamed into the radio nonstop. It was her. I know that that was her. That was actually her, that was my Mary. It sounded as if she said she needed me, she must need help!

"Mary, don't worry, I'm coming, don't worry I'm coming!" I said crying actually expecting an answer but what I got in return was nothing, absolutely nothing. I stood there listening but I heard nothing. Tears were pouring down my face uncontrollably now.

"Be a man, be a man." That's what my dad always used to say. Be a man, what a load of goddamn shit. I have to find my Mary quickly, nothing else matters now, not even my life.

I ran back through the trail and the alleyway until I was back at the entrance leading into town. As if on cue the radio began emitting the static again and figures were hovering and limping through the fog in all directions. The wind blew and rustled my hair throwing in front of my eyes. I wiped it back defiantly and tightened my grip on the wooden plank. I spit on the ground. Goddamn there's more of them. I was actually amused can you believe that.

No more of this shit. I can't take it anymore. I have to find her. Mary's in trouble and I have to save her!


	9. Chapter 9: Mother

Chapter Nine: Mother

The sun had just set and a heavy down pour of rain trapped the city inside. An ambulance had just pulled up to the hospital, sirens and lights blaring madly. A man was being wheeled into the hospital quickly. A few feet away in one of the rooms a little girl had just pulled her face off the window leaving a foggy imprint which vanished within seconds.

"What is it Laura?" a woman on the bed asked. She was very pretty but most of her beauty was covered up by sickness.

"Oh nothing. Some loser got hurt, that's all." the little girl replied. She began to walk back over to the chair beside the bed, intending to finish the conversation that she was just interrupted from moments before, when a loud knock came from the door. The girl looked intensely angry for being interrupted yet again.

A tall man walked into the room. He was a doctor, very old, gray hair, gray eyebrows, and even a gray moustache. He had on fairly large glasses which kept sliding down his greasy nose causing him to push them back up every few seconds. He had a clipboard in his hand and he didn't much look like he came bearing good news.

"Good evening Mary, Good evening Laura." He said. The woman on the bed looked up at him.

"Good evening Doctor." She said happily. She looked down at Laura.

"Hi Doctor." Laura said miserably.

"I'm sorry Laura, dear, but I'm going to have to ask you to leave." the doctor said.

Laura looked extremely annoyed at this. She glanced at Mary but all she got was an 'I'm sorry' and 'you had better listen' look which only heightened the girl's annoyance and anger even more.

"Fine then!" Laura said sarcastically as she stuck out her tongue in the doctor's face, stomped out of the room angrily, and slammed the door shut behind her.

"Good night Laura." Mary called out but Laura didn't hear her.

That big meanie, interrupting our conversation like he has something to say more important. She walked back to her room which was only a few doors down from Mary's.

She sat on the bed hugging a teddy bear and tracing the figure of a cat on the sheets with her finger. She sighed and looked out the window.

"Rain. I hate the rain!" she said angrily sticking her tongue out towards the window. Next to her bed was a nightstand with nothing on it but old dying flowers. She looked at

them sadly and then she picked them up and squashed them in the palm of her hand.

"Stupid flowers! I wish I had some new ones. Mary just got some today." She said.

She made an angry noise as she looked down at the flowers in her hand.

"Her boyfriend brought them she said. Man I hate him, he's such a bully!" she remembered the conversation that she just had with Mary in the other room.

She rubbed her teddy bear's head and nodded off into a comfortable sleep, the flowers spilling out of her hands and falling onto the floor.

Laura awoke the next morning, it was cloudy and dark out, still raining.

"Mommy?" Laura muttered in a daze. Slowly she began to realize that she wasn't asleep and dreaming anymore.

"Aww, that was a good dream." she muttered as she looked at the alarm clock. It was 7:00 a.m.

"Whoa!" Next to her alarm clock was a bright beautiful arrangement of flowers resting peacefully in a vase filled with water.

She touched a yellow flower and slowly and very carefully slid her finger down one of the petals.

"They're beautiful." She bent over and inhaled the heavenly scent.

"Mmmmmm."

Next to the vase was a small white card. Laura picked it up and looked at it filled with wonder. On the front of it it said 'To Laura: From Mary'.

"Mary, thank you so much." She grabbed the card and ran out of her room and down the hallway to thank Mary.

She threw open the door to Mary's room and stood there expressionless.

A nurse came walking up the hallway and noticed Laura looking into the empty room. She frowned and went up to Laura and put her arms on her shoulders.

"What's wrong. Rachel, what's wrong with Mary?" Laura said sadly tears filling her eyes.

"You mean she didn't tell you?" Rachel said in a comforting voice.

"Tell me what, tell me what Rachel?" Laura said as she began to cry.

"Honey, I'm sorry but Mary left, she went to a new hospital earlier today."

"She left! No she couldn't have, she couldn't have!" Laura ran into the room screaming for Mary. After a few moment she sat down against the wall and continued crying.

Rachel walked over to her and hugged her.

"Laura. It's all right darling." She said trying to soothe Laura. It didn't work it only intensified her sobs.

"Look Laura. Mary left this with me to give to you ." She pulled a letter out of her pocket and handed it to Laura. Laura took it.

"Now honey, let's get back to your room." Laura didn't answer, she just got up and walked back to her room in a daze, guided by Rachel.

Once inside Laura slammed the door shut and ran up to her bed. She grabbed her teddy bear and she began to open the letter.

"My dearest Laura. I'm leaving this letter with Rachel to give to you after I'm gone. I'm far away now. In a quiet, beautiful place.

Please forgive me for not saying goodbye before I left.

Be well, Laura. Don't be too hard on the sisters.

And Laura, about James…

I know you hate him because you think he's mean to me, but please give him a chance.

It's true he may be a little surly sometimes, and he doesn't laugh much. But underneath he's really a sweet person.

Laura…

I love you like my very own daughter.

If things had worked out differently, I was hoping to adopt you.

Happy 8th birthday Laura.

Your friend forever,

Mary"

Laura spent half the day trying to find out where Mary went. But no one would tell her, not the nurses, not the doctors, not anyone!

Later that night Laura sat in her bed too busy with thoughts to fall asleep.

"I have to figure out where my Mary went so I can be with her forever."

Laura smiled. Hah I know. Mary said in the letter 'A quiet, beautiful place.' I bet that she was talking about that Silent Hill. She was always telling me about that place and she promised she'd take me there with her when she got better. Humph, that liar, she went there without me. But don't worry Mary, I'll find you and then it will be my turn to hide ha ha.

I have to get out of her. I have to get out of her! But hmmm, how am I gonna do it, hmmm.

"Good question, but I got a plan."

Her plan was to wait until nighttime and then she would get out. But where she would go is something she didn't give any thought to.

Laura looked at the clock that rested beside her, 10:07 it read. Better go now she thought.

She snuck stealthily out of her room. Luckily the hallway was temporarily deserted. Voices were approaching from the corner of the hallway.

Shoot! I better hurry. Laura ran down the hallway. _BOOM! _A loud crack of thunder echoed throughout the building causing Laura to jump with fright.

She looked into one of the open rooms. It was pouring outside. Suddenly, a streak of lightning stormed across the sky.

Snap! All the lights instantly went off. Laura took her chance, she knew that the lights would automatically come back on in less than half a second.

She rushed down the hallway nearly knocking someone over.

"What the hell!" A man yelled in excitement. She ran down the hallway into the lobby. She nearly reached the door when the lights popped back on.

She stood there for a moment not knowing what to do. And then she ran for it out the door and into the rain. People screaming for her to stop.

She ran into the bushes and sat there for a moment to catch her breath. People ran out the door looking for her and splitting up to search the grounds.

No, I can't let them get me. I have to get to Silent Hill. I have to get to Silent Hill. In her mind Laura envisioned a park that Mary had told her about. I have to get there, she thought.

A loud constant sound echoed throughout her mind, like an alarm. The hospital entrance started to spin and become distorted. It was slowly being replaced with a light swirling mist. Laura could still hear people but upon looking at them they became distant and blurry.

She thought harder, Silent Hill, I have to get there, to Mary. I want to be alone with her. I want to be alone with Mary. Alone!

The hospital scene was twisting, the screeching noise becoming even louder, Laura was becoming dizzy and eventually she passed out, leaving the hospital and her world behind her and landing in a park overlooking a lake. Her head fell down softly on a spot of moist grass. She lay there on the ground smiling all alone in Rosewater Park, the waves splashing against the rocks.


	10. Chapter 10: A Rotted Face

Chapter ten: A Rotted Face

Eddie sat alone his van on the side of a fog smothered street. His head was resting on the steering wheel, he was looking down at his hands which were covered in blood. What happened, I can't remember anything Eddie thought as he lifted up his head and looked out the window. What the hell is with this fog?

The restaurant, I remember going there, but what happened? He looked over at the pizza box on the seat next to him an slid his hand over the top of it leaving a smear of dry blood. Where the hell did this blood came from? He sighed and his head fell back down on the steering wheels, his eyes closing and spit dripping from his mouth.

_Ring, _the bell that marks the end of first period just rang. In the front of the classroom a young man sat gathering up his things. He wasn't very skinny and he had large glasses on. He was picking up a two books up of the floor, one entitled "American Literature" and the other "A Farewell to Arms" by Ernest Hemingway. He stuffed them in his bag, which was extremely beat up and worn from three years worth of use. Under the books was a notebook, on the cover of it in the top right hand corner was a name neatly written on it. It said 'Eddie Dombrowski."

As he got up to leave a gang of three kids with long hair and black clothes on walked up to Eddie.

"What's up Fatass." The kid in the middle said. He was the "leader" of the group. Eddie looked up at him nervously, he was on the verge of tears.

"Um, I'm sorry Devon." Eddie said looking at the ground.

"What d'ya say you fat fuck, show some respect you disgusting piece of shit." The kid in the back said. He was shorter than all the others. He had a hell of a lot of piercing on his face, his nose, eyebrow, tongue, and his chin.

Eddie whimpered and began to cry. His glasses fell off and hit the ground. He looked up for an instant hoping to see the teacher but he wasn't there. No one was ever there for Eddie.

"Look at the little baby cry. Hahaha." Devon said as the other two started to laugh and call Eddie names.

"Hey Fatass, I thought I told you to show us respect, look at us." Eddie didn't raise his head. "Look at us you piece of shit!" He yelled. Eddie stood there looking at the ground and his puddle of tears.

"What d'ya say we teach this piece of shit a lesson, huh boys." Devon said.

"Yea!" the other two said in delight.

Devon punched Eddie in the face causing him to fall over and trip over the desk. He fell on the ground, blood pouring out his nose. All three kids instantly started beating on Eddie. The small kid kicked Eddie in the face and a loud crack indicated that he had broke something. They kept hitting him, kicking him. Everywhere and they wouldn't stop.

Eddie sat there crying and choking on his own blood. This is what life is like for him. Everyday Eddie is constantly tormented and beat up. That's the routine and that's always been the routine. When other kids were out playing baseball at the park, Eddie was getting beat up in his own yard. His mother didn't give a shit about him. She was a drug addict who only wanted Eddie for his money. She treated him like a dog and Eddie hated her for it. She always said that it was his fault he got beat up, it's his fault for being so goddamn fat, his fault for not having any friends.

"Let's go." Devon said. The other kids delivered their last blows and started to walk away. Devon stood there for a moment looking down at Eddie. He spit down on him and stomped on his head. A bright flash of light pierced Eddie's eyes and he went unconscious.

Hours later Eddie awoke in an alleyway. A rat was nibbling on his nose. Eddie sat there not caring, he didn't want to move, he wanted to give up on life. He sat there in a daze watching people pass him in the street.

It started to rain as Eddie lay in the alleyway. A stream of partially red water passed by his face. The rain was washing off the blood all over him. He started to get up but a sharp pain in his chest, not to mention his entire body, prevented him from doing so. He reached down and held on to his chest and he began to cry.

He thought of his mom and wandered if she was worrying about where he was. It's dark out and probably past his bedtime. But she didn't care, Eddie knew she didn't care. She was probably passed out on the couch with one of her many boyfriends. He thought of his father. He hasn't seen him in a long time. When Eddie was four his father moved away from him and his mother to a nicer place with his girlfriend and her two children. He got a letter a while back from his father asking him if he wanted to come and visit him in Maine.

But his mother took the letter away, burned it, and told Eddie that his father hated him and it was just a joke, your father doesn't want your fatass. He spent the whole night crying in his room.

Hours passed as Eddie lay in the alleyway all alone. He looked at his watch hoping to see what time it was. It was broken, smashed up. He started to cry again. He hated being out in the night, he was afraid of getting hurt. Everyone made fun of him for this and called him a pussy. Everyone makes fun of him, everyone, he doesn't have a single friend.

Last week Eddie asked a girl out in the hallway after class. All he got was a disgusted stair, a burst a laughter, and a can of pop poured all over him. After that Eddie ran out of the school, people pointing and laughing as he went. He didn't know where he went that night. He spent hours wandering the streets until the police picked him up and drove him home.

This is how life is for him. This is how life has always been for him. It's the only way Eddie knows how to live.

Eddie stood up slowly trying to ignore the sharp pains that pierced every part of his body like a knife. Everything was blurry and barely distinguishable, he had lost his glasses. He made his way out of the alley way and onto the street. Few people passed him as he made his way up the street struggling to see.

"Hey, watch it man!" someone said as Eddie his something solid. It was a person. He was about to say I'm sorry when he fell, face first into the pavement. Everything was spiraling in front him. The voices of people screaming for help, the sirens, the bright light, a man standing over him, and then it all went dark.

Eddie awoke with a start and struggled to take in all his surroundings. He was back in his white van in the middle of the fog.

"Bastards." He muttered as he opened the pizza box and took out a slice and began to eat it. I remember that day, those kids beat the shit out of me and dumped me in the alleyway. I had to go to the hospital that night and had to stay there for a week. I had three broken ribs and a concussion. And that bitch didn't even come to see me, not one can you believe that. But I got away from that place. My dad came to get me when I got out of the hospital. He was exactly the opposite from what my mother said. He didn't care that I was fat his girlfriend didn't either.

He finished his piece of pizza and grabbed another. But then everything went downhill. Two years after moving in with him, all that shit started again. He started being mean to me and makin' fun of me along with everyone else. Hah! But I showed them. I stole a gun from my father's closet and I made them pay!

He choked on a piece of pizza he just swallowed. Where the hell am I. He opened the door and stepped out onto the street. Just as he began to close the door he remembered. He grabbed the pizza out of the car and a pistol out of the glove compartment. No more, no one will make fun of me or I'll kill em.

The streets were empty and thick with fog. It seems that Eddie who desperately sought isolation from people, couldn't stand to be alone.

This is scary. Everything's empty, the buildings, everything. Eddie started to one up the street stopping at each building looking in the windows and banging on the doors. One of the doors was unlocked and he went in.

It was a pharmacy. It was dark inside. Only enough light got in from the windows to light up the front of the shop. The back was complete darkness.

"Hello, is anybody here. Hello." Eddie said as he took a few steps up one of the aisles. This is creepy he thought as he stopped dead in front of the darkness. He began to breathe heavily and sweat uncontrollably. No I'm not going back any further. A noise pierced the silence. A soft rustling noise towards the back of the shop. Something was moving out back there and Eddie didn't stay around to find out what it was. He turned around and ran out of the shop back onto the street.

He sat there for a moment bent over, hands on his knees, gasping for breath. Oh god. What the hell is going on here! He gagged and puked up the pizza he had just eaten. Shit!

I remember once when I was little that bitch made me what a horror movie with her. I was terrified of it but she didn't care, when I started to cry and scream she got up and hit me and yelled. I had nightmares for years after that, every damn night.

He reached into the back of his pocket and pulled out a pack of Marlboro's and a lighter. A bench was just ahead and he went to it and sat down and lit up a cigarette. Jesus, what the hell is going on, how did I get to this town. What is this town! It's abandoned, a ghost town. He sat there for a moment smoking not thinking of anything at all.

A loud scraping noise came from the street in front of him. Without hesitating he threw the cigarette down and ran back down the street. What the hell is it! It got louder as he ran. Oh Shit, it's coming closer. He kept running, the noise at his heels, until he reached his van. He got in slammed the door shut and started it up. It was out of gas.

Eddie ran up the street until the noise was no longer there. He slowed down, looking at the buildings as he passed them. Empty, same as all the other ones. He kept running until he came to a blocked off road. A huge white barrier blocked off the street he was on. He walked over to it. Shit! He looked around him wondering where to go next, he couldn't

take much more of this.

Hmmm, where am I supposed to go? He stood there for a moment and tapped on the pizza box trying to think when they came.

Strange shadows started to move around wildly in the fog.

"Oh no, please no more of them, I can't take it, oh no!" Eddie said as he dropped to his knees whimpering. The figures were slowly closing in on him, and then, it started.

The loud scraping noise inside Eddie's mind, the shrieks of laughter the name calling.

"Eddie, you fatass!"

"Piece of shit!"

"You fat fuck!"

"Hahahahaha, look how fat he is!"

Dozens of people started to approach Eddie, but like before, their faces were hideously distorted and disfigured. Their skin, a pale green color, their mouths were stretched out and shredded, and their eyes, red and evil.

Eddie was shivering, trying to ignore the taunts.

"Please stop it, don't do this to me, pleas stop it, stop it, stop it!"

"Stupid Shit!"

"Fat pussy!"

"Retard!"

Eddie's face instantly became dark red and a devilish smile appeared on his face.

"I told you to stop but you wouldn't listen. Now I have to kill you, Hahaha!"

He pulled out his gun and began firing but nothing came out. He looked down at it.

"Oh, why d'ya have to do that at a time like this, oh well." He stashed it in his pocket and ran out of the road and onto the sidewalk.

"Well lookee here!" He opened a fence which led into an apartment complex. The figures followed him through, hovering above the ground. The closer they got to Eddie the more human like their appearance became.

He ran through the entrance and slammed the door shut behind him, the figures disappearing.

"Bullets, bullets, bullets, bullets. Where are you bullets, I need some bullets!"

He looked around him.

"Oh no!" he said as he realized where he is. Another dark building. He grabbed the door handle behind him but the door wouldn't open.

"Let me out! Let me out!" He screamed.

In the middle of the door words began to appear.

"Not until you think about what you did."

Eddie stood there looking at the words. I didn't do anything, now let me out.

"Let me out!" something fell in the distant, it's impact echoing throughout the building.

Eddie was in an old run down apartment building. Tiles were broken and astray all over the floor. Wallpaper was torn at places revealing ages of mold.

"Aw man this stinks." He covered his nose with his hand. He squeezed his left palm shut.

"Shit!" The pizza box, he had left it outside.

It was dark but there was enough light to make out the room that he was in. A door was a few yards in front of him. Adjacent to the door was an old metal stairwell. He slowly climbed the stairs, his footsteps echoing which broke the silence.

This is nuts. What am I doing here? This is crazy, Eddie you had better leave. I can't the door won't open. Bust it down fatass.

_kssshhhhhhhh. _The loud scraping noise was back. Eddie froze with fear. He could hear something else, a faint voice whispering to him over and over again.

"Oh no, not again!" he ran through a door into a hallway. It was dimly lit and was in poor condition much like that downstairs. But Eddie didn't pay any attention to that.

He ran down the hallway trying every door but they were all locked. This one locked, that one locked, shit, open up! The laughter got louder and Eddie could begin to hear names.

"Fatass!"

"No! Stop it! Please stop it! He screamed just as he tried another door. It burst open and he fell face down in the room.

"Eddie, Eddie, wake up." He could hear a familiar voice. He slowly opened eyes

"Huh, where am I?"

"Eddie get up." the voice repeated.

"What?" He looked up and an intense look of horror replaced his confusion.

"Hey there fatass!" It was Devon, or Eddie was almost sure it was Devon. It was his clothes, his voice, his hair, but the face. It was grotesque, mutated. He was sitting at a table looking down at Eddie, a large hunting knife in his hand. Eddie grabbed the back of his pants, and a look of disappointment appeared on his face.

"No!" Eddie jumped up screaming and he backed into the wall.

"No, leave me alone! Please leave me the hell alone!" Eddie screamed in tears.

Devon stood up and started to walk towards Eddie.

"Fatass, it's time for your beating." he said smiling unable to hide his excitement.

No please, stay away from me, stay away from me, stay away you bastard. Eddie slid down the wall knocking over the small table next to him. It smashed into the ground breaking. Out of the wreckage a small golden bullet rolled in front of Eddie. That was it. He looked up his eyes glinting in the dim light and Devon.

Slowly Devon's face began to become more clear to Eddie each step he took towards him. Eddie grabbed the bullet, pulled the gun out of his pocket and struggled to put the bullet in. Come on hurry, he's getting closer, hurry or he'll get you and he'll hurt you again. You don't want that do you, you don't want to be hurt anymore do you. No I don't!

"Fatass, you piece of shit. What do you think you're doing!" A slowly distorting voice said. The bullet was in the gun. Eddie cocked it and stood up.

"You son of a bitch! You're really going to get it now. Here's your punishment!" Eddie said in a sick twisted murderous voice.

Devon looked up at him defiantly.

"Heh, you fat bastard, you think you're going to shoot me, go ahead and do it fatass I dare you."

He pulled the trigger. A deafening blast and a bright light erupted from the barrel of the gun. Devon's head exploded, blood squirting everywhere. He fell down backwards onto the table breaking it.

He stood there for a moment triumphantly basking in the glow of the murder he had just committed. Oh how long Eddie wished to do it and now he finally did, he finally killed someone and it felt good. Slowly, his happiness began to fade away. It was replaced horror and guilt.

He dropped the gun and approached his dead classmate lying on the kitchen floor, under a table, blood still pouring out of him.

"Oh no, what've I done." he muttered. He ran into the bathroom and bent down over the toilet and started puking into it continuously. You killed him you little shit, you killed a person. You sinner you're going to hell. You killed someone, you crazy shit. I know I'm sorry, I didn't mean to. He made me do it. He made me do it. It doesn't matter if he made you do it, you still killed him.

Soft, faint footsteps could be heard from the other room. They were approaching the bathroom but Eddie paid no attention to them. He was still puking and crying uncontrollably and he had time for little else.

The door opened and a man walked in. Eddie turned his head, a nasty green liquid pouring down from his mouth and of his chin. It was the man from the diner. The one with the picture. He opened his mouth as if to mutter 'hey' but he couldn't. He turned his head and shoved it back down into the toiled just as a torrent of puke erupted from his mouth, water splashing in his face.


	11. Chapter 11: Broken Silence

Chapter Eleven: Broken Silence

Uhhhh, Uhhhh. Damn, this pain, it's unbearable. It's on fire, my head is on fire. Uhhhh, what the hell happened, where am I? Slowly the blurriness in my eyes began to fade but I still couldn't make out where I was. The room was spinning extremely fast turning everything into a blurry haze causing everything to just merge together. Uhhhh, what the hell. How did I get here? I can't remember, what happened after I got out of the alleyway.

_ James, I think you're going crazy_.

No, I can't be, this is real, it's all real.

_No, its nothing but a dream, a nightmare nurtured by your paranoia._

What are you talking about? A dream this isn't a dream, it's real. It's reality.

_ Oh really? Can this really be reality? If it is explain to me everything that has been happening, the monsters, an abandoned resort town, and your pitiful and contemptible attempt to bring your dead wife back into the realm of the living. _

Stop it please! Leave me alone. Why would you do this to me?

_ Do what? Save you from yourself. James, you're destroying yourself. You're digging yourself a grave so deep that escape will be entirely impossible. You have to leave this place before you're entirely cut off. You are walking down a path of darkness that leads nowhere but suffering and once you reach the end, you won't be able to get back, you'll be trapped. You're falling James, falling…_

What can all this mean, what possible rational explanation comes with this implausible reality. Why am I here, must I really deserve this. But what have I done, yes what have you done. Nothing I'm innocent, you've got the wrong guy. I don't think so James! You're a sinner, you're a bad man. You've broken away from God and dared to trespass into the silence. You're too unfit for redemption, you won't be forgiven, unless you are willing to face the truth and forgive yourself for your transgressions.

Uhhhh. The spinning slowly began to cease and I was able to determine my exact location. Another run down building, rotting away into noting. From what I can tell it appears to be some sort of apartment building, the rusty old broken down mailboxes to the right of me being the main giveaway. I'm in the lobby, a few feet ahead of me is a rusty old stairwell leading up. The only source of light was from a window just above me. A faint, yet bright light. Outside the fog still revolved in madness. Slow, swirling.

"Huh?" A slow rhythmic noise began just to side of where I was sitting. It was blood I discovered, looking down. But where is blood coming from. Horrors came to mind as I remembered the monsters from earlier. Another one? I grabbed the radio out of my pocket and stupidly waved in the air, hoping to catch some white noise indicating the presence of the hellish abominations, but nothing came. Oh damn!

The blood was coming from my head. The pain returned almost abruptly and all to strongly causing a loud shriek of pain to burst from my mouth. The scream caused an even more frightening echo which broke the silence in the apartments. Shit! That wasn't a good idea, whatever is in here, and no doubt at all that there isn't, must've heard me.

Shaking, I put my hand up to the left side of my head. Just above my eye was a deep cut, no it's more like a burn, whatever it is it's deep and blood keeps pouring out of it nonstop. Nothing there's nothing to stop the bleeding with, I turned out all my pockets spilling the contents all over the floor. The photograph of Mary slowly descended into a pool of dark blood. Damn, I pulled it out quickly and wiped it on my leg trying to get the blood off before it stained the picture, momentarily forgetting about my own dire predicament that will have serious consequences unless something is done, and soon. I took my boot off and removed my sock and wrapped it against my throbbing head. Heh, lucky I put these socks on today, these are the ones I've always hated. You know, the long wooly ones that itch like hell every time you put them on. But damn me to hell they really saved my life this time.

But still no matter how hard I tried I couldn't remember how the hell I got to this bloody hellhole. All I remember is emerging from the alleyway back into town, monsters all around, and… That's it!

Soon after I walked out onto the foggy streets those things began to appear all over the place, coming from all direction. Strange, they weren't there before I ran into that monster on the path. Dozens of them began limping towards me wildly, the radio blaring sharply in my ears. The noise was too much, it was driving me crazy, I couldn't concentrate. But those things all the while came closer, unperturbed by the noise. In confusion I swung the plank in every direction like a madman. Yet again that ice cold feeling of helplessness ached throughout my body. I felt my plank hit some of their torsos, warm blood spraying onto my face, and that horrible shriek of pain. But the more I killed the more of the bastards there were. They began sort of, for lack of a better adjective, marching out of the mist like an army, yet in no distinct aura of pattern or training.

I ran, God knows where trying to escape. I turned my head and through the mist I could still see shadows following me. I remember praying to God as I was running, begging for Him to make all this stop, begging for Him to help me. But like always he didn't, He never does, Hell I didn't actually expect Him to anyway.

The farther I ran up the street the less white noise there seemed to be until it slowly faded away into silence. Desperate for breath I rested on the steps leading up to some house. My heart felt like it was going to explode and so did my head, they were throbbing madly. That's when it occurred to me. Maybe this town isn't abandoned after all, I mean I've never been in any of the buildings let alone a house. I turned around and looked up at the house behind me. It was a graying white, a blue door that was slowly wearing away, and two windows on opposite sides of the door. Behind one of them the gray curtains swayed to the side, as if someone was in there and was watching me through the window but turned away frightened of me seeing them as I turned my head. Oh god, I thought I was going crazy but I must not have been. That was a person, a person. Can you believe it. I struggled to get up and walked over to the door.

I knocked seven times in a row, softly though. Nobody answered me as I waited there. I knocked again sure that I had seen someone in there but yet again no one answered. I pushed my ear up against the door hoping to hear something to confirm my former suspicion. Inside I could hear a sort of rustling noise, the kind of noise leaves make in the fall after they've fallen from the trees on the concrete. It seemed to becoming from the back of the house. The curtain in the window next to me was ajar a small ways and I peeked in. It was very dark in the house and all that I could make out was the silhouettes of the furniture and the walls. Towards the back, straight in front of me, was what looked like a kitchen. A window dimly lit the kitchen with an eerie fluorescent light. A dark shadow slowly crossed in front of the window blocking out the light and nearly causing my heart to burst. A short but loud scream erupted from my mouth. The shadow stopped dead in it's tracked and I could see it moving its head or whatever towards me. I grabbed my mouth with both hands, desperate to suppress shrieks and cries of terror that longed to come out. I ducked under the window and stared out at the swirling fog in front of me and the shadows of the buildings across the street. Whatever it was it must not of seen me because nothing happened to indicate that it had. Slowly my courage climbed back up and my heavy breathing began to die away into a steady comforting sigh. I slowly lifted my head up, allowing just enough to let me see back into the house. I could see nothing out of the ordinary, I slid back down and sighed a smile beginning to appear on my face, almost turning into a laugh when I hear a loud scraping noise. Not like before, this time it seemed to be magnified like a thousand times. I covered my ears and screamed but the noise completely covered it up. Slowly the fog became grayer and swirled around madly, the air lost all temperature again and was in a sort of limbo. The door leading into the house began to bulge out as something began to hit it. Disfigured and twisted wood began to protrude out. The door seemed elastic like rubber, every time a blow was hit to it it just pushed out, whatever was in that house desperately wanted to get out but couldn't.

I fumbled backwards just as the last light seemed to vanish right out of the world, emerging everything in complete and utter darkness. Another blow struck the door and the wood extended out and hit me in the stomach knocking me down the stairs onto the hard concrete. I heard a loud crack and dizziness filled my head as I hit the ground extremely hard. It's true you really do see birds when you're hit on the head. Finally after one last blow the door gave away and large chunks and splinters of wood shot in every direction one slicing me just above my left eye leaving a strong sensation of pain. As the wood landed it seemed to wriggle and writhe on the ground. The strange creature emerged from the open doorway each step echoing loudly. I could see a faint outline of its shape, it had a large sword like object in its hand. That's what made the noise I had heard earlier. As it came closer and started to slowly descend the stairs, its features became more distinct, but I didn't hang around to see just what the hell it was.

I stood up and ran, ran as fast as I could, not knowing where I was going. It was too dark to see anything, I mean anything. I could see absolutely nothing. Behind my I could hear the heavy footsteps and the scraping. I just kept running my head pulsing and throbbing, I stumbled over something soft and fleshly, a body. I fell face first into the pavement, a light flashed in front of my eyes and everything went dark.

Slowly, what seemed like hours later I awoke lying in the middle of the fog smothered street. In my hand I felt something stringy and my disoriented mind pictured, trying to rationalize the anomaly showed me what appeared to be shredded cheese, the kind you make pizzas out of.

"What the hell?" Slowly my eyes focused on the thing in my hand. It was hair human hair! I sat up and slid and kicked away from it. There was a mutilated body lying next to me face down. One of the legs was twisted upwards in a horrible way and the other was completely gone, tore off. The head was smashed in and dried wrinkly brains were protruding out. In the torso was an huge hole, a fine cut made by some sort of monstrous knife. An image of the creature I saw before flashed in front of my eyes. He must've done this to this person. I stood up frantically my feet splashing in the pool of blood that surrounded the grotesque corpse. That's when the horrid smell got me. It worse than anything, and I mean anything. I ran choking for air away from the corpse. Not realizing until I stopped moments later that I still had a was of blood soaked hair in my hand. It was like seaweed, I had to wave my hand madly to get it off. As it landed on the ground it made a clanking noise instead of just a soft and mushy plop. Something was inside of the ball of hair that made that noise. I bent down and started to pull the hair apart. It was in knot so I just ripped it apart. Underneath all or it was a small golden key. It read 'Woodside Apartments'.

"Woodside Apartments?" I said looking down at it as I brushed it on the side of pants getting all the slimy blood off it. It took the map out of my pocket and unfolded it. I looked around and found the street that I was on. Woodside Apartments was a few blocks over and if I followed the map I should be able to reach it.

I finally reached the street it was on and walked down it. Right when I got to the apartments I noticed that there was a roadblock. A large plastic covering prevented me from going any farther as if it meant for me to go to the apartments. There was a gate surrounding a courtyard. As I opened the gate a loud screeching noise pierced the silence. Scared of something hearing me I slammed it shut and ran it. The courtyard looked as if it was freshly mown. The grass was moist and healthy looking, strange. I made my way to the large entrance door and ran my hand down it. It was a thick dark brown wooden door in excellent condition. I turned the handle but it was locked, obviously. I pulled the key out of my pocket and went in. Seconds after closing the door, I became faint. That's when I noticed the deep cut above my head, it was bleeding still. How could I not have noticed it? Everything began spinning and I collapsed on the floor in pain.

That's what happened. I stood up and tried to open the front door but it was locked. Damn it! I turned around and looked around the room. I have only two options, the stairs or the door at the opposite side of the room, I guess it'll be the stairs. I walked towards them when I saw a piece of paper folded on the floor next to the rotting wall. It's a map of the apartments. Well that's going to be useful. I folded it up and put it in my pocket and started up the stairs.


	12. Chapter 12: The Angry God

Chapter Twelve: The Angry God

The stairs led to three different floors but only the first and second were open, the third one was locked. Well unknowing why I've been lead here my only choice is to start from the bottom up. The first floor is my destination. The hallway beyond the door was extremely dark and the only visible light was the dim glow of the exit sign just above me. Luckily I found a small black flashlight on the stairwell. It's nice and compact and fits perfectly in my breast pocket firmly.

Well, I better start by checking each of the doors. I took out the map and positioned my flashlight to shine on it. I'll make way down the left checking all the doors on the left and then double back checking all the right ones. All of them were either locked or their locks were broken and I was unable to get in. Nothing useful must be in them then I decided as I turned around and started to open the door across from me. Surprisingly the knob turned smoothly, a small click, and the door opened.

It was an average apartment except for its poor condition and the stains on the wall that oddly looked like dry blood. There's a small kitchen that branches off to the left of me and a small closet to the right. In front of me was the main room filled with your typical furnishings, couches, tables, an armchair, and a TV. Also there were doors which led to a rancid bathroom and some pretty disgusting bedrooms I presume. It's warm in the room unlike the hallway outside. The windows are boarded up fairly clumsily and parts of the carpet are missing.

On a whim and an urge to "normalize" my situation I tried the power switch on the television half hoping for it to work. Yep, and as was expected, it didn't. Makes sense after all an abandoned town wouldn't possibly have electricity, who's paying the bills.

Now, time for the scouring to find hidden items or clues. I fell like the main character in some fantasy game searching for power ups and health orbs, shit like that, ha ha.

Well the search didn't turn up a damn thing and I'm sure I looked everywhere, every little nook and cranny you could possibly think of. I left, overwhelmed by a feeling that I forgot something. Maybe I had, but who cares.

All the next doors leading back to the exit where I came in were locked to and one of the doors was completely barricaded behind boards and plastic. Maybe it was sealed up to trap a monster. Two choices now I can either turn left and head north or continue going straight and then turn north.

"Was that?" A loud cry, like a baby, erupted from somewhere just to the left of me up the dimly lit hallway. I jerked my head over suddenly and started to walk, slowly, up the hallway, using the walls as a guide. As I came towards the end of the hallway a gate was present right in the middle of the hall. Behind it just a few inches lay a golden key. A dropped to my knees in excitement and reached through the bars towards the key. Just as I was about to grab a little girl came running up and grabbed right before I could.

"Hey!" I yelled at her. She stuck her tongue out at me and went skipping away. What the hell? Was that a girl or a monster? Out of options I went through the door just to the right of me. It was exactly the same as the other one save for a few minor details. A door on the left was slightly ajar and a faint light was coming through. I walked towards it and went in. The room I was in was madness. A faint buzzing noise is coming from nowhere and is scaring the ruddy hell out of me, also there's a greenish glow about the room, kinda hard to explain. There's a large old Grandfather clock resting against the wall and opposite that, a wooden dresser. Above the dresser names were carved into the wall rather crudely. Henry, Scott, and Mildred, and next to them arrows of different sorts. Probably the hands on a clock, makes since seeing as there's one directly behind me. Calmly resting upon the dresser was a crumpled piece of paper.

_"Three different sizes, _

_ time on the run._

_ three young men circling,_

_ round the sun._

_ Henry is short and_

_ Very, very slow,_

_ Scot can't stop,_

_ he's always on the go."_

Ariddlehuh? Jeez I was never any good at riddles. I read it over and over again still not making sense out of it. Hmm, I know. I reach down into my pocket and took out a small notepad and a red pen I was using to mark the map with. I rewrote the riddle onto the first page. This helps me understand it more, like when you take notes in school or something.

The names are the same as the one on the wall. So Henry is short and slow he must be the hour hand on the clock, and Scott is the second hand seeing as that's the fastest. And it has to be a clock seeing as there are three hands and the center of the clock is the sun and the hands circle that. But what I don't understand is how the hell this is significant. Or how it freakin relates to the clock behind me. I craned my neck over and looked at it.

"So, you bastard, you freakin hiding something?" I said as I walked across the room towards it.

Hmm, the needles are stopped at 3:15. What the hell? It's locked! The face plate to the clock wouldn't open nor would it break when I slammed the butt of flashlight down on it. On the floor were marks, as if something had been moved. There must be something behind the damn clock and I'm going to figure this shit out. I walked to the side of it and bent over to examine the clock.

'The scars from the past shall remove the nail that stops time.'

"What the hell does that mean?" I thought it over at least a hundred times but still came up with shit. Fuck it.

I pushed the clock but it didn't budge even a damn centimeter from the position it's in. Like a goddamn rock, I thought. I pushed even harder yet to no avail.

"Fucking shit." I screamed at the clock kicking it, nearly breaking my foot.

"Shit!" I reached down nearly grabbing my foot, must've broken it. Soon after my foot came into contact with the side of the clock, a large, clearly distinct sound resonated from somewhere in my shoe. Shit. After a few moments of rest I stood up again and assured myself I was good to go. Well staying in this room any longer is practically stupid, the faceplate of the clock looks like it needs a key and the clock won't move unless you get the fucking Hulk in here or something. I sat down in a chair in the corner of the room next to a boarded up window and took out the map and red pen, marking everything on the map, the clock, all the rooms, yeh know all that sort of shit.

Soon after all that was done I left and headed back out the front door of the apartment into the hallway. Now let's see, I've already covered the left portion of the floor and now this. I'll head back down here checking the doors and then back out into the main hallway, head left checking those doors and then another left up the last branch. Hmm, yep and that'll be it for the first floor. Then I can check the others. Weary at the thought of all this I slowly headed down the hallway, tired not by fright but boredom. Shit, I still need to find a key for the third floor, not to mention the door in the lobby and the key to that fucking clock. Uhhhh, damn this is going to take for freakin ever.

As formerly predicted, all the damn doors were locked. What a bunch of shit this is. Someone must be screwing with me.

The last hallway and branch of the hallway all leaded into open unlocked rooms but two were only of any use, well one really but I'll tell you about the second one as well.

First, Room 208. Strange looking room, mannequins all over the place and dozens of overturned furniture. There was a window in the back, just behind an overturned couch and a coffee table, that was glowing with some odd misplaced red light. In the middle of the room was a mannequin on a stand, from the waist up. It was wearing Mary's clothes, those same ones in the photograph, the one's she was wearing when we were at Rosewater Park on that sunny day years ago. Frozen with nostalgia and grief I stood there in a stupor unable to think let alone move. Now listen to this shit. Straight from under the coffee table, a mannequin slid out, squirming and writhing about. It had no head whatsoever, just a fucking pair of glossy legs, a shiny torso, and another freakin pair of glossy legs for freakin arms! At first I didn't even think about it, I just stood there speechless looking at the doll in the middle of the room, drool slowly dripping out of my open mouth down my chin and onto the floor. But the motherfucker never stopped moving, at first I automatically inferred that it had somehow been dislodged from its resting place, but no. The shit slowly wriggled towards me like a goddamn snake until it finally stood up. I turned towards it, my whole body ice numb with terror, a monster was what it was. But it was different than the others and all the more horrifying. It skin, more like plastic, was a glossy tan color. I'm serious, it looked like a fucking mannequin, no questions asked. But somehow the motherfucker was moving, towards me if you want to know specifics.

Without hesitation I swung my wooden plank at the bastard but I missed. The sudden pressure on my foot caused me to cave downwards. I fell to one knee, the wooden plank flying from my hands across the room and hitting the opposite wall with a loud crack. I was there on my knees helpless and this fucking creature straight from some department store hell was coming towards me shrieking somehow. It was slow and that might have been what saved me. It walked like a baby would its first time discovering that its feet had other uses that being sucked on.

I went dizzy due to the unbearable pain bursting through my foot. I puked, all over the monster as a matter of fact. The thing stumbled backwards with a low grunt and fell down on the coffee table, shattering it into hundreds of tiny pieces, like it was glass.

I stood up instantly but yet again buckled in to the pressure and pain in my left foot. I fell down to the floor again. This time I didn't waste anytime, I crawled my ass across the room to where the wooden plank was and grasped in my sweaty hand and turned around and rested against the wall. The thing was just emerging from the coffee table wreckage and stumbling to its other feet. I slammed the power the switch on my flashlight down into the off position and threw my hands over my mouth only letting slivers of air get in through the tiny cracks in between my fingers.

Almost at once the mannequin monster froze in mid air and sunk deep into a catatonic state, like he fell asleep right there, standing up and everything.

"shit!" I whispered softly as I let my hand drop form my mouth down to my side. I stood up and picked the wooden plank up off the ground and held it firmly in my hand. It was extremely dark in the room without the flashlight on and I would have to be careful to get the fuck out of there without stepping on any of the shards from the table, let alone running into that thing and waking it up again.

I was almost to the door when I stepped on a large chunk of wood. It was thin and shitty and made a large "CRUNCH!" noise when I stepped on it. A loud shriek of pain signaled that the thing from hell had awoken, and this time he seemed pissed to hell that I had awoken him. The clumsy movements which dictated him before no longer applied. He was quick strong and agile. It came running at me quickly. I had no time to dodge it when one of its leg on the top part of its body swung and hit me square on the left side of my head, literally sending my flying across the room and slamming into a bookcase. Upon contact all the books fell out hitting me on the head. The thing slowly turned and started walking to me at a quick pace, it's feet swing madly in the air. Droplets of blood were falling me into my eye, blinding me.

"SHIT!" I screamed trying to wipe the blood away. When it was gone, the thing was right next to me and before I could move one of its foots came crashing right into my diaphragm sending a rush of air out of my mouth complete with blood. It stood up and readied itself for another blow, but I was too quick this time. I rolled over to the left and hit the end of the couch. I saw the thing swing one of its top legs as I rolled, it went straight through the fucking wall.

I stood up and half limped, half ran to the other side of the room. The thing turned around and started walking towards me angry as shit. It's arms flying madly side to side. I clenched the wooden plank in my hand and with an odd feeling of delight I sprang towards the fucker and whacked its legs. Blood came spurting out, spraying across the walls and on my face. This horrid piece of plastic has blood in it! Without wasting time I whacked it seven more times each at different parts of the body, mutilating it and soaking the room in a dark red ooze that slid down the walls ominously. The corpse of the mannequin lay in a bloody heap right in front of the door that left the room. I walked over two in a rush of victorious pride and I kicked him, knocking one of his legs clear off, sending it flying across the room. It landed right under the hole in the wall it had made not even a minute ago. I walked over to the hole and poked my head in curiously. When the hole was made it uncovered a long pipe like hole in the wall. I couldn't see to far in even with the flashlight blaring into it. Well, I had better. I stood my hand in, every second regretting that I had, thinking that when I pulled it back out nothing would be there but some bones and slimy blood, but nothing happened. Something sharp pricked the tip of my middle finger, I grasped the object in my hand and pulled my hand out triumphantly. It was a key, an old fashioned one, with one hell of a sharp tip. Third Floor, it read. Yes!

After a quick sweep of the apartment and coming up with nothing I left and went into the next room, nothing there either. But the next room, holy shit!

The minute I opened the goddamn door I nearly pissed my pants. In the kitchen just to the left of me was another one of the mannequins. But this time it was limp with death, and standing right over it, holding on to it, strangling it, was the most horrifying thing I have ever seen.

Another monster, like no other. It was huge nearly seven feet tall. He had a brownish covered skin rotting away in places, a apron on from his waist down to his greasy black boots. It was stained with dark blood and pieces of flesh. His head vanished under a massive red pyramid shaped helmet stained with rust and blood. In his left hand, in his blood stained gloves was a fucking massive knife nearly fifteen feet long. It was stained with blood and covered in pieces of rotted flesh.

Upon seeing him, the room started to spin and I became delirious. I cranked my head side to side frantically trying to find somewhere to hide. There was a closet a few feet ahead of me to the left. Without much thought I ran to it and slid inside and slammed the damn door shut. He heard me and dropped his victim down on the floor and turned towards the closet I was in, his knife cutting straight through the fucking wall as he turned! A loud rumble signaled that the apartment room was very close to collapsing. He walked over slowly, the knife sliding across the floor, leaving a thick three feet wide incision. I backed up against the wall. This is it, this is the end, this is the end goddamn it. Mary I'm sorry, I'm so sorry. I started to cry.

Next to me on a shelf was an old rusty revolver and a single silver bullet. I slammed it into the barrel and aimed the gun through one of the cracks toward the pyramid thing and fired. Nothing happened, the bullet came in contact with his helmet thing and just bounce off. I saw it enter the wall across the room with horrid frightfulness. He shifted his head slightly and then continued towards me.

Dear God, No. Please make him go away. I'm sorry, just please make him go away, please, please, please.

_This is it James, I told you to leave but you didn't now you have to be punished._

Please no, I'm sorry.

_Too late, you little bastard, you have to pay_.

No, I'm sorry, just make it stop, make it all stop!

_Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha!_

Seconds later the Pyramid Head retreated. For some reason it just left the room. Oh God, thank you.

_You shouldn't be thanking God, he didn't save you!_

Well then who did?

_Really, James, you have to ask that, ha, ha, ha!_

I opened the door and walked out into the room. What the fuck was that thing! I was still crying, still not believing that that fucking horror had gone. Shit, where the hell did he get a goddamn sword like that. I fell down to my knees and puked all over for what seems like forever. To this day, that pyramid thing is the only thing that could instill any amount of fear into me. Who is he?

_Oh, James, you know, he's the one who…_..


	13. Chapter 13: MakeBelieve

Chapter thirteen: Make-Believe

And that's what happened. All the things leading up to where I am now. Alone in this awful apartment building, this blood soaked room near collapsing. Everything has just been so unbelievable. This empty town, those horrid monsters, and now this. That murderous thing with the helmet and the massive knife soaked with blood. My God, what the hell was it, where the hell did it come from? Only questions that wouldn't ever be answered, no matter how desperate they sought to be.

This place is a nightmare is what it is. A nightmare yes, and I will soon awake from it back in my cozy little apartment room next to her, the sunshine bursting in through the open shades, and the sweet melodic songs of the mockingbirds filling my ears. Heaven is what it is, and this is Hell. This is what Hell must be like. Nothing at all like the clichéd unanimous belief of mountains of fire, unbearable and scorching heat. No, its loneliness, suffering, and psychological terror which the human mind has even the slightest comprehension of. It's not much different than reality it is. After all, the world is a rather dark place filled with nothing but suffering and loneliness. But people live through it and put up with it with illusory beliefs of dreams and joy. But those are nothing but false promises, no tricks in which God makes and instills into our hearts to counter the truth: that there is no joy or happiness or dreams. It's all lies to keep us under control. But now I know the truth and everything's going to be oh so different. He can't hurt me anymore, not anymore, because I won't let him.

Several loud creaking noises affirmed my former prediction of the room near collapsing point. I'm surprised that the whole room wasn't leveled when that pyramid thing sliced through the wall and the floor. I opened the closet door and stepped out into the 'living room'. My God, it's worse than I thought. The crack in the wall's enormous. The cut starts from the kitchen entrance and stretches all the way across the wall, through a door and stops just inches away from the corned. The one in the floor expanded nearly six feet in length and rushing down it at a fast rate was a waterfall of blood. It's coming from the mannequin monster. Damn, who'd a thought it could hold all that blood inside it's little body. It just kept pouring and pouring, literally like a waterfall.

A few moments later and down fell the ceiling. Collapsing right over me. A large piece of chunk of it fell and hit me square on the forehead. Hell, I have to get the hell out of here. I ran, or to put it more accurately, tried to. I couldn't possibly get out, a large chunk of wood and metal landed right in front of me, barricading the exit. I breathed in a mouthful of debris and started to choke on it. The room began to spin and I began to pass out. I'm floating, floating, falling, falling. Aw, HELL!

The whole ceiling finally collapsed on me and drove me and the floor down into the room below. A whirlwind of dust and debris was circulating in the darkness. I mean darkness, I can't see a thing and the damn flashlight isn't working anymore. Must've broke on impact when I fell. Well there goes the most useful thing I have and the most important.

"Huh?" Aw hell, the gun is gone too. I felt around in the debris and chunks of what had been the room above me but found nothing even close to resembling the cold metal of the gun. I mean I didn't have any bullets or anything but I still might have found some or something. Everything's spiraling down, what the hell am I going to now without a flashlight or a gun? What if I encounter more monsters or that strange darkness comes back? Damn it!

Well, theirs is no use just sitting here depressed feeling sorry for myself. I learned that lesson the hard way when I was a teenager. But I don't think you care to hear that story. Maybe another time.

I can hear a low rumble, something like an air conditioner or something, coming just a few feet in front of me. I tried to stand up but fell back down in pain. Jeez, in the midst of everything that's been happening I completely forgot that I fell nearly….. Wait, I don't even know how far I fell. Looking up I could see nothing but darkness. Wow, I'd say about a thousand feet. No, but a hell of a long way.

I, for lack of a better verb, dragged myself around. The room I was in appeared to be about only five feet in length and three in diameter with no, not even the slightest hint, of there being a door. Well great my own little prison cell. Also, I didn't find anything which was capable of producing that little whirring noise. Well great, how the hell am I going to get out of this. I fell over on my side and just fell asleep.

I awoke what appeared to be hours later, but in reality I'm guessing only about fifteen, twenty minutes. That is the only bad thing about sleep, don't get me wrong I love sleeping, oversleep all the time, it disorients you and distorts your sense of time and perception.

The pain in my leg seemed to swell down and allow me to at least stand. The darkness still here, the rubble, yep everything just like I left it, however long ago. Except the whirring noise, it seemed to escalate to an all-out blaring siren noise.

"What the hell is this?" The noise was echoing throughout the room, driving me mad all the while. I ran around the room again, desperate to find an exit, but to no avail.

"It's like a freakin box!" I yelled at it. "Open the hell up!" I said as I pounded at the wall. The only progress being made being the pain in my hands and the slow trickle of blood, not to mention a bruise or two, but I couldn't see to confirm it.

"What the hell is wrong with you!" I yelled as I slid down one of the walls, and get this, right on a sharp piece of metal, piercing my ass.

"Shit, what the hell, stop it already, I've had enough of this shit!" Blood slowly began to slide down the back of my leg, sending an odd chilling sensation throughout my body. I started to wipe it off with my pants but stopped shortly after. To hell with it, who cares. I bent down and frantically started looking for something, the wooden plank, yes, I'll beat down the damn walls if I have to it. A few moments later and a tiny pain in my finger and I found. Shit, one thing after another. I rubbed my finger on my jacket getting some of the blood off.

I walked forward, wooden plank held outwards, until I ran into a wall. This is it you bastard, you had it coming. I whacked it over and over again. Nothing was happening, the wall's like metal. I tried another one, that one like metal too. The third wall wasn't though. The first time I connected the end of the wooden plank on it, it collapsed revealing a dark corridor.

Oh shit! This is even worse than before. I'd rather be trapped in a room than go down a dark corridor. Out of any other viable options I slowly started down the passageway, my hands pressed against the wall as a guide. It was rocky at someplace and at others flat and smooth, almost like a hallway that small bombs have exploded in, I know that sounds stupid but it's the only thing I can think of right now. That sound never seems to fade away either. Like it's right there with me, in my ears, haunting me…..

Soon, I reached a large door. Upon feeling it I found it was metal and extremely cold. I felt around for a handle and found one. The door was extremely heavy and didn't open until I practically had to pull it open with my whole body. I couldn't see where it lead to where I stood so I took a step forward, the moment I did, regretting that I had. To tell the truth, I don't know what the hell happened. A few moments later I was back at the entrance of the apartment building.

Ohhh, I get it. This is all just a game and I somehow died, only to start over at the last save point or checkpoint. Hmm, I wish it was all just a game. But it's not.

I walked back up the stairs finding that the first floor doorway is locked. Shit. I tried the second and voila, it opened up. A whole new monstrous floor to journey through, oh joy.


	14. Chapter 14: Slipping Across the Line

Chapter Fourteen: Slipping Across the Line

_Here it comes, it's coming, the darkness is coming, to get you and punish you , what have you done, what have you done, why does it want you , why does it want you, you dirty SINNER_

From the moment I entered the second floor hallway I knew I would never again be the same. In an instant every dark thing that I've done came floating back to me. To punish me for forgetting. For not paying for, for not atoning. I knew it would eventually happen but never did I once think I would be in a place like this when it did.

"James, get up it's time for school!" A woman yelled. She was dressed in a gown with red stripes ascending vertically. A young boy with golden hair was lying in the bed, drooling apathetically on the pillow.

"James, I said get up NOW!" the woman yelled awakening the man in the other room.

"Norma, will yeh be quiet eh?" He screamed across the hallway. He was still asleep and resented his wife's intrusion into his blissful slumber. She didn't seem to care and ignored him as she walked over to the young boy and yanked the blankets off of him and the pillow out from under his head. He awoke with a start and seemed terribly annoyed by h is mothers blatant rudeness and disrespect.

"What the hell did you do that for!" he yelled at her as he sat up on the side of the bed. His face was riddled with adolescent acne and it was very oily. Fifteen years old.

"I SAID BE QUIET!" The man yelled angrily across the hallway.

"Quit, Jim, we have neighbors, for God's sake!" The woman snapped across the hallway. As she said this a boy walked in the room. He could have been James' clone save for his blemish free face, his tidy hair, and him being nineteen years old.

"Well look at the little baby, not getting up for school again." He said mockingly. " Jesus Christ James, when are you going to stop doing this shit. You're fifteen years old!" He said sarcastically. James picked up the wet pillow and chucked it at his brother. "Shut up you fag!" He yelled in the process.

The pillow hit the boy right in the middle of his face and fell to the ground. He was really angry now, his face turned a deep red, turning his perfect face into something out of a bad dream. He pushed his mother aside and walked up to James and smacked him on the face.

"You little BASTARD! What the hell did you do that for!" He screamed while he hit him.

"Stop it, geroff of me!" James yelled, his hands up in a ditch effort to protect himself. Norma stood up at approached the two fighting boys about to say something when her husband came in.

"What the hell are you two doing, STOP IT! Andy, James I said STOP!" He yelled at them, spit spraying in their faces. The two boys froze right where they are and synonymously muttered 'I'm sorry, sir'.

A few moments later, after everyone left the room, James started to get dressed. The alarm clock on his bed said '7:56". The switch on the back was on 'off'. He had turned it off the night before planning not to get up today. That's what it's like for him, up all night, drifting in and out of sleep, never able to stay asleep more than half an hour and when he does it's weak. While he's up turning about in bed trying to get to sleep, he gets discouraged and just gives up on everything.

He's missed nearly forty days of school already, so what the hell, one more day surely can't matter. _EHHH_, wrong boy.

A few moments later he was dressed but ever so reluctant to actually go to school. Fearing another confrontation with his parents and cynical brother he opened up the window and hopped out. Lucky for him the ground was only about two feet down. The window actually had to be locked up once because he constantly snuck out of it, going to parties and stuff, not to mention the one time he brought a girl in. He was near scoring with her when his father popped in through the door asking for his cologne. Can you believe that. The fight that resulted was horrible. A few punches here and there and a ton of swearing and James was in his room for the week and had bars on his window. A prisoner in his own home. It actually didn't bother him that much, he's used to isolation. Besides he's a loner, he tries to avoid peopled everywhere he goes. They not worth my time, he says. And in truth they're not. All they talk about in school is perverted crap, it's all penis that, pussy this. Ridiculous!

James appearance at the moment wasn't too pleasing either. His hair was extremely oily and dirty. Something he's constantly criticized and put down for because he hates washing it, it's too long to be washed and the feeling of it after is horrible.

His face, like a pizza covered it corn oil, fingernails covered in dirt and grime, his clothes dirty and stained, and a dirty disgusting smell coming off him. Dreading the moment he would have to explain to the teacher why he's late and be haunted by the vile stares and stifled laughs of his classmates he began to cry. It may not seem like it, but this kind of stuff bothers him tremendously. He's deeply depressed you might say.

Eight hours later, James walked through the front door of his house and slammed the door shut behind him, causing an ear splitting _CRACK_ to echo throughout the entire house.

"James, what do you think you're doing." His mother called to him, but he ran to his room ignoring her and slammed the door shut behind him. It was a terrible day. Laughs, laughs, and more laughs. But like all others it subsided into nothing more than annoying blur of a memory which haunted James like all the others.

_(Five Days Later, in the office of a Mr.Defresne, a probation officer)_

"Well, James, care to tell me why you're here." He asked calmly. Despite his occupation, My. Defresne's a handsome man. Slick, combed back brown hair, clear face, and strong piercing blue eyes with a hint of mystery in them. He had on an expensive white suit.

Upon being asked the question, James looked up at his mother, who's in the chair next to him. She shrugged, smiled, and motioned towards the officer. Yea, why do I have to tell him you bitch, James thought

"Ummm, I don't know." James replied, his head down looking at his feet, a hint of shyness and nervousness in his voice. Mr.Defresne smiled and crossed his arms on his desk. His notoriously messy desk, papers everywhere. How the hell does he keep his job, James thought.

"Well." Mr.Defresne said. "Why do you think you're here James." James looked up at him and then back down and started to fiddle with his fingers. His mother nudged him on the shoulder. You bitch, you do it, James thought.

"Well, umm, I've missed a lot of school." He said nervously.

"Well that's a start, can you tell me how many you missed and why you missed them." Mr.Defresne asked him.

You know, you bastard, stop pretending that you know nothing, I'm not stupid asshole. I know you've talked to my mother and my counselor.

"Umm around twenty I guess." He lied.

"No, more like forty." Norma said, interrupting him. What'dya do that for you bitch.

Mr.Defresne looked up at James disappointed. Wow, does a little lie make you that upset. Get over it you pussy.

"So forty days James, and can you tell me why you missed that many." He said, still calm and cool, the girls must fall in love with him. One hell of a suave voice.

_Heh, you little fag!_

Shut up, I don't have time to deal with you now. Yeh got me!

A few minutes later and whole lot of hell gone through James stepped out of the bastard's office. His mother was still inside "talking", the bitch. Probably telling him her pack of lies of how I "verbally abuse her". Heh, what a bunch of shit. He walked down the hallway and out into the main lobby. Well its more like a small little hallway with two large brown benches against each wall. It was deserted, except for an empty Coke can on the bench across from him. The bastards, leaving their garbage around, James thought.

What seemed liked hours passed when James's mother came out accompanied with the bastard. She had a grin on her face, like she just won a damn award or something. What the hell are you so proud about, bitch.

"Bye James, see you next time, remember what we talked about." The bastard said as he walked back through the door. You're not a freakin counselor, so stop acting like one, damn.

"Let's go James." Norma said, happier than usual. What the hell are you so happy about, bitch.

A few weeks after that meeting James is sitting on his bed reading a book, "The Power and the Glory" by Graham Greene. Footsteps in the hallway distracted him from his book and caused him to look up at his door intensely. _KNOCK KNOCK_

Yep, as expected it was for him, his mother probably with the pills. Yea, get this, they say I'm am

depressed and put me on these meds! Can you believe it. That's what they do when your different, they do everything in their power to make you just like them because they're scared, scared of what you might do, scared you might be better than them. To get along, you go along. And I have had enough of it. I'm going to leave this place and I'm going to go somewhere where I will be accepted and idolized for my differences. A place where human cynicism ceases to exist. A place void of all anger and hate. Is there a place like that, probably not, but I hope. After all that's all we humans got right, hope and baseless optimism. But somewhere, on the other side, things will be different, I can feel it.

So I left during the night. And you want to know something? When my mother came in with the pills and a glass of water, get this, I spit it in her face. My farewell gift. She deserved it anyway. I left through my window, as always, and made my way to the bus station. It must've been oh around midnight when I left. It was hard as hell to get there to. I had to keep ducking behind bushes and tress to avoid the approaching headlights of cars.

I bought a bus ticket to Derry, Maine. Cost around seventy five bucks too. But I don't have to worry about money, I have enough of it. Around eight hundred I'd say. Been saving up everything I've gotten, even my lunch money. No wonder I'm skinny as a rail.

No one was on the bus except for an old couple in the back and a woman and her kid in the front seat. Why the hell are they on this late. Must be escaping from their abusive, alcoholic, father and husband. Upon looking at them more closely I could tell that that's exactly the case, the woman had bruises on her face and was crying and the kid was shaking violently, like a seizure or something, he was crying also. It's a screwed up world isn't it, people fall in and out of love so quickly and then they do this. Man I hate people like that, who think it's all right to hit another human, hell it's not even right to criticize, put down, or mock another person. What gives them the right to do that, I mean, jeez.

The bus is one of the greyhound's, but it was filthy. Gum stuck to the seats, windows, and floors, seats were ripped up and scribbled on, a few windows were broken and covered up with plastic, filth and grime literally hanging off of everything. This can't be sanitary, how the hell is this bus even allowed to run.

I found a seat in the middle, away from everyone and moved close to the window. I rested my head on my hand and looked outside at all the passing cars and buildings. It all turned into a blur and then into darkness as I fell into a dreamless sleep.

I awoke to the gradual rising sun and a little kid and his brother? No father, oh I don't know. Shit, why'd they have to sit next to me. Look around jackass, the rest of the bus is empty except for maybe two seats, so why'd you have to sit here of all places. The little kid was fast asleep, and the other, drinking a Coke and reading a hunting magazine, or a fishing magazine, how the hell should I know. God, how can people read those things, gun magazines, hunting magazines, hell even Playboy, it's all a load of crap. I went back to sleep, extremely angry.

I didn't awake for nearly four hours, the new guy sitting next to me watch showed, and I really had to go to the bathroom, I mean _REALLY._

"Excuse me sir." I said as I got out of my seat and walked up towards the driver. He was a fat and ugly looking man, not someone you'd want to mess with and I learned that the hard way.

"Sir, can you stop the bus, I really have to use the bathroom." I asked him. He jus turned and looked at me with his fat ugly greasy face and smiled. He said in a sarcastic voice, "Sorry son, I'm afraid I can't do that. Now please return to your seat."

"Please, I really have to go, I'm about to do it in my pants." I said more urgently, anger approaching.

"I said take your seat, we should arrive in the next town within the hour." He said, not taking his eyes of the road. I looked out the window, we're in the middle of the woods, he can stop and let me use a tree or something.

"Please, sir, can I just run out and go behind a tree, it'll only take a minute, I swear."

"I said no, you little shit, now take your seat!" He said a little louder, luckily no one was within earshot.

"Please, sir, look I'll give you a hundred bucks if you stop." I know it's stupid but I really have to piss. He looked up, a rather odd expression on his face.

"All right son, get going." He said as he pulled over and opened up the door for me. I started to go down the steps when I felt a heavy hand grasp my shoulder firmly.

"Oh no, now you wait jus' a minit, you ain't going nowhere until I get me my hundred dollars." he said smiling. Greedy bastard, I thought.

"All right." I said as I took my was of money out of my pocket. It's pretty thick actually. Mostly ones from lunch money. As I counted out a hundred I saw, out of the corner of my mind, a devilish smile appear on the guys face. Then it happened, he grabbed the money out of my hands and pushed me down the stairs out of the bus. I fell onto the hard concrete, my head breaking my fall. In dizziness, I heard the bus screech away.

"What yeh do that for you bastard." I said, the words barely leaving my mouth. I fainted, right in the middle of the road.

When I awoke I was in the back of some car, in the front seat was a young couple. Their car was nice and clean and smelled of fresh flowers. On the radio, a news station was talking about the disappearance of some boy. Poor little bastard, probably got kidnapped. The more I thought about it, the more I realized it was me they were talking about. Oh crap, and these are the people that kidnapped me.

"Who the hell are you!" I screamed as I sat up, "And where am I?"

Years after that incident I found myself living with that young couple and their daughter Mary. They owned a wonderful little home in, get this, Derry, Maine. Ha-ha. I guess I finally got there. I don't really remember much during this time but I was only there a few years. When I was eighteen I got a letter from my brother Andy, telling me that he started up a convenient store in a neighboring town and asked me if I wanted the job, I said yes and had to move in with him. I became the new cashier. After a few years living there with him I saved up enough money to get my own apartment, a really nice one actually, but damn it was expensive. Eventually me and that girl Mary, before mentioned, started going out on dates and she moved in with me. And we happily ever after, not really. We were on and off, seeing different people all the time. But when her mother died she finally decided that I'm the one she wants and we got married, now this around seven years later. A big expensive wedding, courtesy of my parents.

Soon after our marriage things began to go haywire. We were constantly fighting and arguing over the smallest of matters. Eventually she force me to go see a counselor, for what she called me 'depression'. What is it with people and this word? Soon, I was back on antidepressants and this time I had to take the damn things or Mary said she'd divorce me. Another thing we constantly fought about. In and out of love, I guess I was right. But

wasn't the one who had fallen 'out', I was still madly in love with that girl. Don't get me wrong, I could tell that she stilled loved me a lot, but, I don't know it's really hard to explain. Also I had to go to counseling twice a week.

After a few months of this, everything was back on track and normalcy was restored. Fights became virtually nonexistent and we were like disgusting little lovebirds again. We went out to the movies and dinner all the time. Now, I was making quite a bit of money working at Andy's store and for some reason, my parents were sending me checks everywhere, the amount varied. It was always over a thousand though, I can tell you that. Why the hell would they do that. I guess my mother finally realized that she was the one who was wrong and was making up for it. Every week, though, when that check arrived I got the urge to just rip it up on the spot, but I managed to put my pride on the shelf, after all I really needed it.

But around a year after I first started taking it, the antidepressants ceased to work, and the effect was catastrophic. It turned me into, what you might say, a living zombie. I went through life in nothing more than a mere daze, a zombie you might say. I just delved directly into without any thought a intense feeling of utter apathy towards life, people, everything even Mary. And this seemed to send her, yes even her, into a depressed sort of state. And let me tell you, I felt sorry as hell doing it to her. Soon we became the married couple that everyone talked and gossiped about. "Oh, did you hear the latest news about the Sunderland's." Stuff like that. My attendance started to go down again, this time being not school but my job, and let me tell you, Andy sure as hell didn't like that, not at all.

Soon, things started to pick up again, extremely slowly though. I ditched the pills since they didn't seem to work and were having a synergistic effect, besides I definitely did not want to chalk up an unwanted addiction, especially at a hard time like this in my marriage. God knows what that would cause, it's horrid even thinking about it. I got my head back on track and started appearing at work mostly everyday, got back into counseling (dropped out after my slump) and renewed my relationship with Mary yet again. Everything was absolutely perfect now, my marriage, my job, everything you can think of. Name it and it was perfect. But as with all things good, the feeling didn't last for anymore time than it would take to blink your eye. That's when the largely felt feeling in all life hit: pain and suffering.

Mary fell ill with a terminal disease and the doctor's said she didn't have long to live, three years at the latest. Three years and the only good thing about my life will be gone. I guess God never really wants us to be happy, and when He allows us to, it's for practically no time at all. That's what He does he gives you pain by feeding you little snippets of happiness from time to time, like a drug, a drug your deeply addicted to but don't have enough of. Withdrawal, a never ending withdrawal. I guess Stephen King was right: "Sometimes, dead is better." I really don't know if that's true or not, but I can tell you this. It can't be much worse than life, because life is at an all time low. The good things in life are only there to make us fear and hate the bad things, they're there to tease us and mock us while we struggle to maintain an overall false feeling of happiness. It's all nothing but reality with an illusory appearance. The world is full of darkness and the only people that realize that are the bad ones: the criminals and such. They're the prophets of the modern era, they're the ones, and the only ones that seem to know any splinter of the so called truth, if there even is one. The very lives we live is a lie. And the people that don't know that shoul

be pitied. For they are literally living death. But I suppose everybody knows a little of the truth and that's where religion comes from. But religion is nothing but fallacy as well. You ever notice that all religions portray God or gods as empathetic loving beings. But He or they can't be, people just think that because deep inside they know the truth but they're afraid to face it because all they'll find is loneliness and darkness. I can't blame them either, both of those are horrible feelings which could drive a person to madness. Drive a person into a different sphere of reality, a different world which lay just across the line of here and there. A line which should never be crossed by anyone for it leads to even more darkness and despair, but only with no happiness and joy.

That's what life was like when Mary was ill and in the hospital. That became my new mode of thinking and that sort of thinking leads nowhere but to self-destruction, but that thinking is the truth and the truth should be avoided. After all positive lies are better than negative truths. The truth is all messed up, clichéd phrase I know but when you tell someone the truth most of the time they don't believe you but when you tell them the lie they do. It's human nature, it's natural, we seek negativity in everything in hopes of witnessing chaos. It's a vile desire but its there and I guess that's what makes us human. After all what would be if we didn't have that desire. Well I'll tell you what we'd be, Gods. We'd be a God, and that isn't allowable.


End file.
